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“Three Against Four” are Brandon
Patton (bass), Anand Nayak (guitar) and Jay Skowronek (drums).
Patton and Nayak met in college, playing in various bands together.
After graduation, Nayak helped Patton put together a solo album,
“Nocturnal,” after which they decided to form their
own band. The result is “Three Against Four.” During
1998, they played gigs with a variety of drummers all over Western
Massachusetts. “Some Of Us Are Here,” recorded in the
Spring of 1998, is their debut album. Shortly after, Jay Skowronek
joined the band, completing the current line up.
I saw the band at a benefit concert, “Blank
Fest,” in Nyack, NY. (See review in this issue.) Though
the sound equipment was lacking, the band impressed me with it’s
energy and unique sound. I always worry about taking an album
from a band at a show like this, because often the quality I
hear on stage doesn’t translate well on a band’s self-produced
album. Not so with “Three Against Four.” There’s
a quiet energy underpinning all of their songs, even the louder
ones, and it’s carried through in their thoughtful lyrics.
Most impressive is that they have a sound all their own, which
is unusual to find in such a young band.
The album opens with drum beats leading
into the clashing guitar and bass of “Grace.” It’s
a racing guitar that carries the song along, with the vocals
hanging over the instrumental. The song has more changes than
many bands put on their whole albums, leaving a feeling of controlled
unbalance and disarray. This song is about an unexpected death.
Funky bass and guitar help to set the mood on “Bonedragger.”
It starts off soft, with whispered vocals, slowly rising to a
crescendo. Deep backing vocals add a sense of foreboding to the
song. “I’m cold sweatin’ in my bed tonight/ I’ve
got a feeling in my mind’s eye/ I try to keep my eyes closed/
Everywhere I go you know/ Cuz I’m haunted by a vision/ Of
a man with a mission/ Lurking in the shadows/ Mr. Bonedragger.”Awesome!
“Midnight Ramblings” has fast
acoustic pickings with a funky bass beat, while the lyrics hit
a deep chord. “They’re talking big ideas/ And pretty
soon I just want to go/ Did you know how you were fooled/ When
they told you you were schooled?/ Did you care about the rules/
Or did you just throw it all away?” One of my favorite songs
is “Bottle.” It starts off softly, with a deep playful
guitar line and vocals. As the song progresses, it changes, gaining
a manic quality as the tranquility of a good relationship turns
bad. The lyrics are incredible - beyond what I find on most of
the albums I review. “Uncork this bottle/ Little genie/
Grant me wishes to spare/ Then you must leave me/ Watch it vanish
to air/ Like a faerie/ Our bed was once our palace/ Now it’s
our cemetary.”
Soft, jazz influenced guitar pulls the
listener into the complexity of “Please.” Harmony between
lead and backing vocals is strong, but sometimes the lead seems
a little flat. It only feeds into the miasma the song describes.
“When I woke up today/ I tried to go the other way/ I tried.
. .” Punk and Speed Metal appropriately influence “Battering
Ram.” It’s loud and obnoxious, with a screaming guitar
solo, also featuring a nice hanging lyric line. Put up your defenses
I don't care/ Cuz I believe one day you'll come around/ Cuz what
goes up must come. . .
Front Room surprises at every turn, with
its blend of jazz styled lead and backing vocals mixed with rap.
The song lulls the listener into a sense of security until the
backing vocals come in. Then it slides from jazz into rap, seemingly
without effort. The rap has its own separate title, The Bomb.
The line that makes its presence most felt here is I got a style
all my own. They sure do. No less impressive is Statement, with
its heavy guitar opening and supporting funky bass line. Vocals
are intentionally mechanical with both vocalists clashing together.
I do not trust the word love/ It produces self hypnosis/ And
a strong impression/ That to love is simple. . . If you think
that's a strong statement, you have to hear the rest. It only
gets better as the song draws you into its spell.
"Trainsongs" soft opening guitar
work is lovely, winding around, pulling me in. Just when I thought
the song couldn't get better, the refrain brings it to a whole
other level. And I feel this moment slip away/ And I wait for
words/ But nothing comes my way/ And you see and you look at
me/ You look at me that way. . . Backing vocals on the final
refrain are particularly good. Untwined is probably my least
favorite of the songs. Its soft and weighty with melancholy,
but the lyrics hold up well.
Slight Return is a short revisit to The
Bomb. It fades in and out, making a transition between Untwined
and Without Shame. The complex acoustic guitar line on Without
Shame leads to a soft vocal, and backing vocals begin to sound
like Crosby, Stills and Nash in some places. But, this is Three
Against Four. Don't expect them to lose their identity just because
they borrowed one small element. The harmony feeds into some
fast funk, and the final soft passage, spiraling out with acoustic
guitars alone.
I don't believe that Three Against Four
will remain unsigned for very long. The potential of this self-produced
album is overwhelming. I find I like the album more with each
successive listen. The songs reveal nuances unheard each time,
making it something I look forward to putting in my CD player.
I wanted to take a break at some point while writing the review,
but I couldn't stop. I think that's the best compliment I could
pay them, because I always take breaks. If you're into intelligent
alternative music, buy it. |
