313

Knocked out for a lark during the process of recording Chupacabras, 313 is infamous for being the Phideaux album the band composed and recorded in the space of a day. Although it was subjected to a fair amount of post-production afterwards to get it ready for release, the album is still rather defined by the limitations of its recording process - the songs focus on the shorter side of Phideaux' compositions, and there's no real overarching theme to them except for a tendency towards more whimsical numbers.

Still, there's a certain charm to the piece; although produced via a very different process, it reminds me a lot of Porcupine Tree's On the Sunday of Life - there's the same psychedelic throwback air to it, plus a jauntiness which arises from the artists not taking the album quite as seriously as some of their weightier works. Though it doesn't hit the top tier of Phideaux albums - really, it would be rather incredible if it did - I think it's a strong addition to their discography.