Album Review // The Third Mind // Spellbinder!
5/5 stars
Supergroups like The Travelling Wilburys or releases like June 1, 1974 are collaborations transcending expectations but rarely homogeneous enough to leave individual careers at the door. Yet this psych folk rock EP (a supplement to their album Right Now!) from The Third Mind with its impressive lineup of seasoned musicians Dave Alvin, David Immerglück, Michael Jerome, and Victor Krummenacher as it gels seamlessly, without ego. First track, the instrumental "Spellbinder" is a nod to influential Hungarian folk/jazz guitarist Gàbor Szabó. It flows with rhythms hinting of Curtis Mayfield through foaming bubbles of The Ventures while rippling vibes of early Trans Am. The stark gothic blues of Otis Rush's "Reap What You Sow" stomps with chugging Bonham beats and moaning guitar solos like Peter Green. Original "Before We Said Goodbye" with its string track is melancholy and obtuse like a Scott Walker tune, moving between soft calm and purging urgency. The final track, a Jesse Colin Young come Leon Thomas/Pharoah Sanders remix, is reminiscent of the best transitions found in '80s Dead's Drums/Space. It creates a lush vortex and other-worldliness. Jesse Sykes' vocals are enriched with an Eartha Kitt/Sandy Denny/Grace Slick range, keeping pace with strength and wisdom. This album hits like sitting in the basement of a friend with an obscenely well-curated record collection, listening to the deepest cuts.
