Action Reaction - 3 Is The Magic Number
[Equal Vision]

The first noticeable thing about this Jason Gleason (former Further Seems Forever member) led New Jersey trio, is that there’s a quintessential British rock kick to their song building.

The emotive rock base does not seem to be taken from this much talked about emo trend, but more from the aching and strolling rock that permeated the early 70s. ‘Can You Hear The Sun’, builds atmospherically to climb up to the aching chorus that highlights Gleason’s forthright vocal style, he is always one step ahead of the blistering guitars.

‘March On’, represents an ability to slow down most of the accompaniment in order to reach out with a wandering heartfelt song, built around rattling percussion and Gleason’s slower, more aching singing style. The later element is not dissimilar to the soul searching cry of Jonah Matranga and is coated by a calming backing range.

The political animal in Gleason wakes up in ’Spark The Son’, a focused and twanging snap at the oppressive nature of the world around us and them, as well as turning into a poetic dedication to inner peace;

"We all live in international fear, we’ve been dying since the day we were here I must confess I will go out again."

"I’ll pass my memories up igniting flames, to call the ghost and share a glass with you."

Whilst many critics are already dubbing Action Reaction an emo-core band, on this evidence they are just too ranging to shelve them under one category. The melody led darkness of intros to songs like ‘Come See My Grave’ and ‘Contagious’, facilitates the accessibility of this outpour of feeling.

This is a Sonic Youth style debut, in the sense that it is something that will increase in meaning and feeling with each play.