3RDEGREE - NARROW-CASTER

Now-a-days with the do it yourself revolution, many music groups get a second chance, through unfortunately not getting enough attention from the media. That is also the case with the new album of the American group 3RDegree. They tried to bring on the market in 93 and 96 two albums that had no success whatsoever and they disappeared with their tail between their legs! The most important claim of this group is that Robert James Pashman has been in a group that has been in the pre-program of Yes and Camel. But through the Internet the members of 3RDegree found each other again in 2005. They wrote in 2005 (actually before breaking up)  a lot of stuff that had not been utilized and that was a pity. A reunion is fashionable now, so that was a good thing. First they cleaned up through an archive presentation and then now the new studio-album.

 

The first thing that comes to your attention is the singing of Dobbs, shrill like Geddy Lee, but with a rough edge. You have to get used to it, but it is not bad at all. The second thing that gets your attention is that it is a somewhat busy production. that overwhelms,  rather bare and honest with especially much attention to a strong guitar. Only after you are "through" all of that, you can bring your attention to the music itself. That is very fine and good. The compositions are rather brilliant. Prog (I think he means progressive)  is one of the few genres that you can leave for some 13 years, without sounding dated, especially with combination of a new production.

3RDegree does not make easy, but still approachable, music, rhythm wise it is quite complicated and even sometimes "gezocht", (which means you have to search for it)- but the songs are good enough to stay upright..... The busy opener “Apophenia” is at once an example of what I mean. It shoots up on every angle , the song lines are unpredictable, the guitar "rips: quite a bit and still after listening twice, you can sing along....

 

The group uses song parties through each other, but luckily it is not too busy. I had to think sometimes about Steely Dan, but then less slick... They can also sound
"poppy", like in the title number, but is not afraid of using alienated elements. A little strange that piece of work, but still "lekker" - tastes good. Somewhere between King Crimson and Toto is where you place the origin of this music. I am especially using my workfield rather "broad" or "wide", because the music on this record is exactly that - wide or broad.

 

So I am really quite satisfied with the recording of this do-it-yourself effort, and still find it difficult to describe what this satisfaction means. The songs are very good, but the entrance to this is made difficult because of the cramping "doing difficult..... Dobbs therefore gets all the time less of Geddy Lee and more of Green Cardside, the silk voice of Scritti Politti. The musicians play very clever, but somewhat unpersonal. They do not have their own style. That holds in for the entire record. It is not real prog, it is not pop, it is meat nor fish. Therefore it is surprising that nevertheless the end result is so good. Rock with progressive pieces and 10 strong songs. I sign up for it!

Erik Groeneweg

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Translation by Adriana Adriensen