The third and final
Gamma kicks off with "What's Gone Is Gone," a grand bit of science friction awash in keys and vocoder. When axe-god
Ronnie Montrose's solo finally kicks in, the guitar serves as embellishment rather than a foundation. Such is the paradox of
Gamma, a band with proven chops to spare, trying to be cutting edge without cutting loose. The end result is some kind of fluff-prog (sometimes akin to
Grace Under Pressure). Of course the production and drums are totally '80s, while still avoiding the shrillness that taints so many pieces from this period. No traces of new romantic chilliness or bare-bones heaviness hide here, but the nebulous in-between yields some killer cuts, such as left-field single "Right the First Time" and the enjoyable wavy confection "Modern Girl." Cleverness like the Morse code spelling out of "Stranger" and the wild synths in "Mobile Devotion" (featuring some red-hot licks that prove
Montrose still has the fire) also make
Gamma 3 a good listen. This record doesn't meander as aimlessly as many art projects, but doesn't send the hooks as fast and furious as perfect pop either. Each song has classy elements, making up for when the overall alchemy doesn't quite work, and the aforementioned songs are worth the aural commitment anyway. ~ Whitney Z. Gomes