OBN IIIs
Third Time to Harm
TIC TAC TOTALLY
4/10
Something just seems off when listening to OBN IIIs’ third full-length album. Unlike their last two LPs (2011’s The One and Only, 2012’s OBN IIIs), Third Time to Harm takes on much cleaner recording techniques, morphing each song by the chaotic punk band into a generic rock ditty. Don’t get me wrong, while the signature fuzz from past OBN IIIs recordings is absent, the Austin, Texas, foursome haven’t completely forgotten their dirty roots. Songs like “The Rockin Spins” and “Uncle Powderbag” seem to walk the thin line separating cutting-edge garage-rock from palatable hi-fi ’70s dad-rock. The songs are simple and stripped-down, but that doesn’t make the record any more grounded—they actually reveal a lack of honesty and true emotion within Harm. The music plays as if forced and not enjoyed by the group, which is a shame for a band that rocks so hard live.
