Label: Transgressive Records
Released: 12th March 2021
Caleb Hinz, Jake Luppen, and Nathan Stocker – the titular ‘Threesome’ – bring a wealth of songwriting, performing and production experience to this high energy and experimental mischief-pop record which gives 10 diverse musical ideas the space and freedom they need to establish themselves as hyper-produced bops in their own right
‘Common Place’ immediately throws you into a world of electronic soundscaping that feels entirely different from any of these artists’ past projects. It doesn’t conform to indie expectations as Hippo Campus might, or go fully maximalist as Lupin would, but instead balances short, catchy melodies and riff ideas against a vast and dynamic sonic environment that feels fleshed out almost to its limits. A chaotic aura can be found throughout as a result of three musicians flexing their artistic muscles, not just subverting expectations but constantly changing and adapting.
‘Maggot Water’ and ‘Desperado’ are great examples of this, utilising big beats to create a heavy, rich and deep experience driven by synth effects and dominated by distorted vocals – headphones are a must in order to appreciate the layering of the entire instrumentation. Lyrical depth occasionally takes a backseat in favour of this, but some songs do explore specific themes; ‘Gone’, the quickest and sharpest sample of alt-pop done right, uses fast riffing to discuss the idea of reigning in ambition in order to appreciate your current situation.
The three group members trade off vocal duties as and when needed, and their chemistry is a significant trait – this release could easily have come off as incohesive and unbalanced, but thankfully none of this manifests here. This LP is a great statement of intent for the trio – deliberately going in opposite directions, perceiving life through a distorted, warped and erratic lens to create a concise, honed and yet multifaceted debut album.
