THE DARK THIRD

This seems like one of those classic love/hate albums, and as usual with this scenario, the truth lies somewhere in between. On the one hand, you have the obvious strengths of The Dark Third: very pleasant vocal harmonies, spacey and well-produced atmospheres, and overall catchy melodies. On the other hand, there are notable limitations: little variation in time signatures and rhythms, a certain similar quality (and lack of diversity) for the songs, little to no virtuosic playing, and of course a bit too much repetition. My take is that all this adds up to a decent, yet flawed, album.

Aeropause, Goshen's Remains, Apprentice of the Universe. This trio plays out as one very nice song, and is the highlight of the album for me. Nothing seems forced or contrived, and I commend them for establishing a dreamy yet captivating (read: not boring) soundscape. Aeropause, the spacey instrumental opener, is an excellent way to start things out, and sets up the following tunes quite well. Catchy and ages well.

The Bright Ambassadors of Morning. An obvious reference to Floyd, but not the only one (for example, I find it hard to believe that use of the phrase "lime and limpid" in Apprentice of the Universe is a coincidence). Here is where some flaws emerge. I see what they were trying to do: established a chorus and build back up to a variation on that tune for the climax (certainly a good strategy). Unfortunately, when that chorus is repetitive and even a bit irritating, it falls short: there is over five minutes of vocal rounds simply repeating "the million bright ambassadors of morning/are dawning" on this album, and it took months before this hook didn't contaminate my enjoyment of the rest of the album.

Nimos and Tambos, Bullets Dominae. Two single-type songs that are catchy and well-done.

Voices in Winter, The Intention Craft. Two mini-epics that continue the pattern of pleasant melodies with alternation between faster and mellow sections. By this time, the lack of diversity in music becomes very apparent: it's nice, but I feel I've heard it before (and in my opinion, better in the opening few tracks).

I don't have much exposure to the indie scene, but this album makes a unique and important contribution to my collection. The album art looks a bit amateurish, though it probably enhances the dream theme. The lyrics are almost Anderson-like in nonsensical quality: singing about octopus rides, sun suicides and hearing light neither add nor detract from my enjoyment. All in all, a respectable, yet flawed, effort.