North Atlantic Oscillation – The Third Day

As any meteorologist will tell you, a North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is a climatic phenomenon of fluctuations in the difference of atmospheric pressure at sea level between the Icelandic low and Azores high. Basically, it controls the strength and direction of westerly winds and storm tracks across the North Atlantic. Still with me? Well, the bands music could – if you really want that – be compared to this phenomenon… they too deliver fluctuations in pressure, the dynamics of their generally atmospheric music ebbing and flowing with occasional bursts of activity here and there. Together as a whole, it also flows like the weather does; seamless with no dead space in-between tracks.

Self produced, the Edinburgh trio were influenced by The Beatles Abbey Road masterpiece, whose second side is almost one seamless piece of music, and like that album is not conceptual, unlike their previous release, Fog Electric. But like Fog Electric, many of the songs are two or three songs in one, mini-movements of sound that nod once or twice to the the likes of Beta Band, early 70s Pink Floyd and, of course, the ubiquitous Radiohead. ‘Elsewhere’ is typical NAO, beginning with an acoustic piano, before some electronic glitching enters the fray along with Sam Healy’s hazy high-end vocal. The volume is then abruptly upped thanks to the introduction of the slightly crazed drumming of Ben Martin, whose distinctively primal musical bearing is an important part of that trademark NAO sound, injecting a shot of organic skin bashing within the otherwise mellowish electronic vibes. And then ‘Elsewhere’ is taken down a couple of isobars with acoustic guitar taking over as the song winds its way towards best track, the foot-tapping groover ‘August’, another track that begins at low volume before exploding into a technicolor dream-fest.

Unexpected moments occur here and there on The Third Day, such as the gentle sax riffing on the spooky ‘A Nice Little Place’, which again segues into another track, ‘Penrose’, a repetitive, if uninspiring instrumental piece that is followed by the equally unengaging ‘Do Something Useful’, an unfortunate name for a track, that doesn’t take heed of its advise…

The ghost of Radiohead rears its head again on ‘Wires’, that semi-urgent guitar/bass/drums propulsion providing the basis, while ‘Pines of Garden’ trances out in a gently whirring kind of way and the epic ‘Dust”s climatic tone shifts gear once or twice, including the sudden sound of somewhat incongruous junglist drums… At this point, it feels like the end, but final track ‘When To Stop’ (seems like the band have a fondness for a musical joke or two) irredeemably does the job, and successfully too, as NAO switch off the electronics for a while and really take Atom Heart Mother/Meddle era Pink Floyd to its breast via piano and guitar and the Rick Wrightesque vocals of Healy, although couldn’t pass up the chance of playing a few more crashing chords, albeit briefly.

All in all another fine album, patchy at times, but with outbreaks of sunshine cheer.

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