Few power trios escape the leaden thud
so common to the configuration like South Florida’s The Von. The band has
established a great and growing reputation as one of the best young rock bands
on the scene since their 2013 formation and their second recording, 3nity,
solidifies that growing standing with a loosely threaded conceptual work that
never forgets to entertain its audience and rocks out with conviction. None of
the album’s songs run over four minutes in length and the opener is especially
brief, but these are songs that lack nothing. Instead, they contain sonic
multitudes and exhibit a stunning combination of finesse and power. The
production is another notable strength – there’s a big sound here driven by
intimacy. The Von sound like they are playing in a crowded, hot, and sweaty
club sometime before last call and still in full flight.
“I Know It’s Love” is the EP at its
power pop best. It bears mentioning that the type of power pop The Von brings
to bear is considerably more powerful than average entries in that realm.
Bassist Luis Bonilla and drummer Elisa Seda form a powerhouse tandem in the
engine room, but they bring great fluidity together with their sheer sonic
force. The practically acapella beginning kicks things off in an unusual way,
but it doesn’t sound out of place at all. The Von are quite talented at making
the music breathe and leaving artfully shaped and chosen spaces of silences in
the song that added a lot to the listening experience.
“Nature of the Beast” is the EP’s high
point as The Von delivers a swinging knockout with a fierce guitar attack and
meaty rhythm section work that makes the breastplate rattle. This is a perfect
example of the observation made in the first sentence – The Von’s performance
here is hard hitting, but never immobile. The lyrical quality here, as
elsewhere, is very high – they never lean too heavily on standard tropes, only
just enough to create some resonance for the listener. The song title, for
instance, is a loaded phrase with multiple meanings for many people and
engrained in our cultural lexicon. It’s a mark of highly intelligent
songwriting.
The final cut on 3nity, “My Heart
Machine”, gives us a glimpse of the band’s affinity for psychedelia. It’s more
of a genre hybrid than it is a straight bit of psychedelic music, ala Hawkwind
or other similar “space” acts, and retains enough hard rock credentials to make
labeling difficult. Bonilla delivers his most nuanced performance yet on vocals
– he brings full throated fury to bear in some passages while showing a
seamless ability to lean back and concentrate on relaxed phrasing. It’s a
wildly successful conclusion to this EP and achieves all of its effects
honestly rather than relying on cheap pandering to the listeners. The Von never
indulges themselves too much and maintains a resolute focus on delivering
maximum effect with little visible strain. 3nity is a memorable effort.
9 out of 10 stars
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thevon4u/
Montey Zike
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