THE LAST 3 LINES - Visions From Oniria |
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12 songs |
The promotional photograph depicts The Last 3 Lines as mad scientists taken straight from a 60s science fiction B-movie. This was already reason enough for me to instantly check out the new album by this sextet from Spain. Visions From Oniria is the band’s second longplayer, coming three years after their last release which was only an EP, and truly shows that taking your time can pay off after all. Starting with the short Introlude, the Spaniards show instantly that even their intro is not like those from any other band. Instead it’s already a short song in itself, preparing for what is to come. The first regular track Your Bruising Charm combines Eighties wave patterns with modern indie rock, not unlike Placebo, for whom they opened already a show in front of thousands of people in the past. But fortunately The Last 3 Lines are not satisfied with just being copycats, instead they work hard to create their own sound which is dominated by great guitar riffs, enchantingly warm retro keyboard sounds and the charismatic vocals that occasionally remind me of good, old Gary Numan. Many albums these days are actually quite good but still don’t manage to capture your attention as normally only your favourite records do. Once again, The Last 3 Lines circumvent that problem with their stellar songwriting (for once you get melodies that you will remember!) and their intriguing instrumentation. The title track for instance is strong on the synthesizers, while Andromeda adds a certain Latino flair recalling the more accessible The Mars Volta. Of course there are plenty more gems just waiting to be discovered by you. My final impression after spending hours with Visions From Oniria is incredibly positive. The Last 3 Lines may not actually do anything truly new, but the way they are combining retro wave pop with future-orientated indie rock, without ever neglecting splendid songwriting, puts them in a league with the currently very popular Phoenix and the still somehow overlooked Of Montreal. Those of you looking for something acutely fresh sounding will have a field day with this Spanish sextet. |