Drummer Jonne Taavitsainen loves trios. But he strongly dislikes conformity. And so both his formations, Lithium and Threedom, are taking the classic format to its outer-most borders. Threedom especially is an atmospheric, almost trance-like affair, in which is every note is as carefully reflected upon as it is placed. The band's debut album Leap of Faith, released after four years of intense songwriting and touring, creates a deep journey from this rich and mesmerising sound, leading the listener into equally comforting and unsettling territory. This is right where Threedom feel most at home: After four years of intense songwriting and touring, the band have finally found where they belong. On a first listen, these personal traits may not be quite as apparent. It is only after one has penetrated through the soft outer shell of lush chords and dreamy moods, that plenty of surprising new layers open up. Essential to the Threedom sound is the tight integration of two axes within the line-up: On the one hand, Joel Parvamo's guitar, which overtly hints at the blues, paints glassy overtones and infuses the melodic arches with an almost cosmic dreaminess. On the other, the hypnotic rhythm section propelled forward by Taavitsainen himself and his congenial partner in crime, bassist Joonas Tuuri. The fusion of these different influences on the album's ten tracks creates a distinct style, which occasionally hints at slow acoustic drum n bass in an early Erik Truffaz idiom and even ambient music. The free floating, radically re-interpreted take on Sam River's "Beatrice" is a statement of intent in this regard: Tuuri lays down a feverish ostinato, Taavitsainen drums in a hushed whisper yet with irresistible thrust, while Parvamo's drips pensive harmonies and nervous, moody licks like molten wax from a burning candle. This is night music, music that doesn't clog up the sonic space with endless cascades of notes, but instead opens it wide open to the listener's imagination and invites darkness in like a good friend. In the credits, the exact percentages of the individual musicians' contributions are given – "Moment 4", for example, divides up to: Joel Parvamo 29.33%, Jonne Taavitsainen 29.33% and Joonas Tuuri 29.33%, while elsewhere, the album also features pieces written 100% by Parvamo and Taavitsainen. The point behind the statistics is not to boost the participants' egos, but to reflect the constantly changing constellations and fluid shifts in emphasis that make Leap of Faith such an exciting and excitingly different record: Even when you think you've heard everything in the trio setting, this album offers plenty of surprises. And yet, coming from one of the format's biggest admirers, who could be surprised about that?
