Deadwood Floats - Three Years

Deadwood Float

Three Years
self-released; 2014

4.3 out of 5

By Matt Jensen

Some things are worth the wait. Bands can sometimes knock out an album within a couple of weeks while others seem like a labor of love that takes years. The new record Three Years by Deadwood Floats falls into the latter category. Tracking started in 2011 and after three years the record was complete. The album was a DIY effort that was recorded in living rooms and bedrooms, mixed by the band and mastered by Carl Saff. Overall, the production is great. It doesn't sound so clean and overproduced like something you would hear on a top 40-radio station but at the same time it doesn't sound too raw and lo-fi. They achieved a neutral sound where the organic instrumentation on the album sounds like actual people are playing it. 

The songs on this album are filled with more emotion than most songs I have heard in recent memory. No matter whether it’s melancholy, hope or nostalgia the emotions are amplified and burst through the speakers. However, perhaps maybe the most captivating part about the music is the layers of emotion that happen concurrently. For example, there were many times I found the vocals to sound hopeful even triumphant while the orchestral strings covered the song in melancholy.

The album opens with an upbeat song entitled “Three Years” that brings an immediate positive energy into the air. On a lesser album this would have been one of the best songs but there is some stiff competition ahead. These guys are the antithesis of a one-hit wonder. 

“Line In The Sheets” is a beautiful song with a strong undercurrent of melancholy. The strings against the impressive female/ male vocal performances sound just about perfect to the ears. As it progresses it feels more hopeful and becomes more intense. 

There are twelve songs on this album and I can honestly say I didn’t think there was one dud. If you can’t immediately listen to the album all the way through make sure to first check out “Hey Boy,” “Ten Pins” and “1923.” 

Three Years does what an album is supposed to do and immediately connects with the listener. The lyrics, sounds and the overall package resonate with the very emotions that make us human and there is not much more you can ask for than that. 

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