ONES & ZEROS - VOLUME 1

3RDegree's previous release, The Long Division, was a risky but deeply rewarding endeavor that found them celebrating the diverse range of political belief within the band. Now, with the first volume of Ones & Zeros, this adventurous sextet takes several bold steps further to explore transhumanism and the Singularity. The result? A glorious sonic feast that both nourishes listeners and leaves them ravenous for the promised second course.

The "concept album" can be a tricky undertaking. It's often the case that artists who have been evolving musically over time will tackle such a project, only to lose focus on the actual music in their somewhat single-minded quest to tell us a story. Fortunately, 3RDegree has avoided this pitfall. While the lyrics indeed cohere into the first half of a logical narrative, the sounds and instruments and song structures are also pushed into broader territory than ever before.

A star of this show's premiere act is its vocal ensemble. The harmonies that paint gorgeous splashes of color all over the music never do so with blunt or predictable brush strokes. What set these arrangements apart are their fascinating chordal and rhythmic relationships, their nuanced layers, and the fact that, in many places, the harmony somehow becomes the melody. The singers also manage to surprise listeners more than once by cutting away to four- and five-part vocal movements that are mostly a cappella; one such movement then explodes into an equally surprising techno section at the end of a standout track. Other enjoyable surprises include mini-monologues from Valhalla Biotech (with accompanying commercial jingles) and even a functioning website for this imaginary corporate sponsor of alleged immortality.

Through it all, 3RDegree brilliantly demonstrates one of its greatest strengths: efficiency. No matter how far these talented musicians and composers stretch their boundaries, they never meander without purpose. Every moment of this cautionary tale feels like it belongs there, and none overstays its welcome. It's a true testament to the caliber of this band that such a large-scale effort has been executed so tightly, concisely, and tastefully.

If I were forced to say anything negative, it would merely be my personal wish that the complete album were released at once, rather than split in two. Yet this doesn't detract from a work that stands solidly on its own -- and keeps us wanting more. So far, Ones & Zeros is a stellar achievement from beginning to intermission.