Posted on: January 28, 2008 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

A Third Wish Granted – The Lost Art of Conversation: Vol. 1 / 2007 Self / 6 Tracks / http://www.a3wg.net /

If you have been around Los Angeles in any serious sense since 2001, and followed the local music scene at all, chances are good that you have heard of A Third Wish Granted. Hell, I’m from Ohio, and I had heard them before I was sent “The Lost Art of Conversation: Vol. 1”. Their style of Middle Eastern-influenced rock is unique, making it difficult for me (the reviewer) to say “they sound like X or Y”. This is a good thing; few bands are able to craft their own style of music, and from the beginning of “Told You So”, that is exactly what A Third Wish Granted do. “Told You So” is a track that, no matter how many years pass between listens, individuals will remember.

The linkages between surf music, classic 1960s type of rock, Middle Eastern genres, and a current outlook are what immediately distinguish A Third Wish Granted from the rest of the bands currently making music. The fact that the band can immediately take on different sounds and styles without making the track suffer is a testament to their maturity as a band. The intricate arrangements present during “Told You So” coalesce into something unitary; it is only through repeated listening and digestion of the song that individuals can glean some sense of all of the work that A Third Wish Granted put into the creation of the track. “Save The Angels” is the second track on the disc, and it provides individuals with a chance to hear the harder sound of A Third Wish Granted. The vocals are unique in the sense that they are able to call forth an eighties approach to metal and unite that with the powerful vocal style used by contemporary bands like System of a Down. Individuals have a number of different things to fall in love with when it comes to A Third Wish Granted.

While some individuals may become enamored with the aforementioned vocals, the swirling eddies of the guitars or the splashy drums are equally compelling. There may only be six songs on “The Lost Art of Conversation: Vol: 1”, but individuals will get high mileage out of this CD. The tracks lend themselves well to repeated listening, especially “Her”. This is due to the fact that A Third Wish Granted is able to pull the strongest pieces from “Told You So” and “Save The Angels” and step boldly forth with this track. It is the success of “Her” that allows individuals to hurtle through the second half of this EP.

Top Track: Her

Rating: 7.1/10

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