The Von – 3nity
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/TheVon4U/
South Florida based The Von, fresh off appearances at the South by Southwest Festival and national touring spots, has returned with their second recording, a three song ep called 3nity. This brief entry in their discography contains surprising depths. The first thing that will strike many listeners about the release is its apparent conceptual nature. The Von isn’t chasing after any linear A-Z narrative here, but there’s a philosophy they outlined with their initial release Ei8ht that the new ep further elaborates on. A careful listen to the band’s lyrics tells you all you need to know. This is a band that certainly believes in the potential of the human, but it’s never peddled as some nonsense listeners will have a difficult time relating to. Instead, The Von speak directly to their audience, musically and lyrically, with a wide open attitude and an unfettered heart.
“I Know It’s Love” begins with a nearly acapella opening that highlights the grit and purity of bassist Luis Bonilla’s singing voice. He fills each of the EP’s three songs with a considerable amount of passion and attention, but he’s never more open-hearted and hopeful sounding than he is here. Guitarist Marek Schneider, likewise, sends the song heavenward with his inspired guitar playing that’s brimming over with equal parts melody and rock fire. The lyrics on this track, as they are for the remaining two, are well-spoken without ever being inaccessible to the audience. The Von have mastered a way to speak clearly to their listeners without ever falling into obscurity and have crafted meaningful lyrical content that serves its first purpose exceedingly well – to complement the musical backing. The EP’s second track, “Nature of the Beast”, gives evidence of the band’s ability to swing like a classic rock act. The spark for this begins with drummer Elisa Seda – he brings together power and technique with perfect balance and his precision helps makes the swinging rhythm section work hit harder than it might have otherwise, Bonilla certainly reserves the bulk of his vocal fireworks on this EP for this particular tune and it’s quite satisfying to hear how well he brings his voice in full accord with the music.
The EP’s final track, “My Heart Machine”, recalls the experiments with light psychedelia or space rock that The Von indulged in on their debut release. It has a strongly theatrical air, but it never sounds inert or pretentiousness. Instead, this is a highly imaginative closer with something to offer every listener. Bonilla’s vocals make use of the song’s understated melodic virtues while still embodying some of its hazier and dreamier aspects of the track. 3nity is a remarkable and rewarding effort from a band whose contributions and talents continue to grow with each new song and release. They are simply too good for the sunny climes of South Florida to contain them and their recent national touring appearances and showcase gigs at the SXSW Festival in Texas are harbingers of even greater successes to come.
9 out of 10 stars
SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/thevon4u
Robert Fulford