INCIDENT ON 3RD

Founders Organ and Morgan [Ha! I can't believe I never noticed that before] (and newest addition, Spilsbury) are left to it with the departure of co-founder bassist-keysman Adam Hutchison, returning to a three-piece. Still amazed how little this album has been rated here, but also by the apparently low reception for this band in general. Don't pass this one by! Their third LP. I hope, too, that my past reviews for their other material can be of some help.

"Drifter" starts things off strong! I mean, this is just great Prog! I don't know what it is, but, as we've seen throughout history, there's something so strong about trios. I think it tends to force more out of the individuals. As I've experienced, the natural standout components are saxophonist Miles Spilsbury and drummer Dave Morgan. Phenomenal! Next is our title track, "Incident On 3rd", which called Rush to mind (like "Cynus X-1"?... totally unsure). And like, I would say, contemporaries Tera Melos, they are able to draw you in with a simple riff, as I found myself absolutely hypnotized by this song! Solo showcase for Spilsbury, Organ presents himself jazzy riffmaster and Morgan is absolutely everything you could want in a drummer.

Things calm on down on the soft jam "Melting Through Midtown", another smooth sax soloing track over lovely keys and a solid backbeat. Really tasty, classic stuff. Another lower, slower track, "Sounding of the Dawn" has a very interesting feel. It is mostly static, as "Melting" was, but shifts slightly into a very interesting riff with sax and keys matched. Then we have the much more straight "Drug Store", though also distinctly psychedelic. Sort of gives me a... desert vibe? haha. Soft keys and then sax run below a very clean guitar riff and builds ever so slightly. It culminates into everything loudening and opening up for a sax solo. Eventually far more progressive, classically, than you would ever think from the start, it really grooves. A surprisingly good track. The sort of southern rock guitar here also strangely reminds me of some Jimmy Page. The main riff itself, it turns out, isn't so unlike something we've heard from Zep. Interesting for sure.

In stark juxtaposition to what came before is the soft, even pastoral "Big Six". Guitar and keys roll atop one another and then... Big rhythm shift as the drums come in. Very cool tonal shift, too. Still bright and optimistic. The guitar and the sax now share the spotlight over some really sweet groovin'. Really strong main riff on this'n! Obviously I don't take the title of the next, "Swansong", to heart, as... it's not the final track even on this album haha. This is a soft, solo piano track. Not a shining highlight itself, it does act as a nice reprieve for "La Croix Electrique", as it enters in with what sounds like a new beginning of sorts. Arcing and bending, though Metal guitar angularly meets strange, avant-garde musings from the sax. This strange affair falls away once more to simple piano and a feeling, emotive guitar solo, hanging there low and slow. This itself picks up in the next section, getting louder and much groovier. Not a static song, but ending in a very uniform, single-focused way.

"Club Quarters" is our first more distinctly electronic number, despite the title of the last track. Sweet groove with really nice keys and warm sax. This track picks up the groove as well, revealed to be more of a modern Fusion song. Nice little keys solo, something we don't see a whole lot throughout their discography. Very appealing. Finally we have "Inner City Rumination", another super ready number for your Prog-lovin' ears. Again, super groovy, pretty spacy, and something that is once more just classic, even if it's harder to place (at times, Gong actually came to mind). Excellent show from everyone to close this album out. Strong start, strong end.