CREDIT: COURTESY OF FONTANA NORTH
English siblings Kitty, Daisy and Lewis release their third album The Third and will stop by Toronto before jetting off to Japan and Europe.

I write about random things a lot. I write a lot about random things. Here in Canada, we’re quite used to groups made up of siblings in various forms, with no end of examples throughout eras and across genres, from the Age of Electric to Men Without Hats, Nickelback to Tegan and Sara.

When you further factor in our penchant to follow the beat of our own drum and celebrate our musical diversity, it becomes easy to see just why The Third – the latest offering by offbeat English three-piece Kitty, Daisy and Lewis Durham – is poised to be embraced by Canadian audiences and a fixture of Best Of conversations at the end of the year.

Newly available this week, the album (yes, the band’s third) came together on its own terms, close to home in a self-constructed studio in Camden Town. An early fan and fellow Camden native, producer Mick Jones – perhaps most notable for forming British punk outfit The Clash in 1976 – sought out an opportunity to work with the trio, who prepared to record with four months of rehearsals at home.

An album that won’t be overshadowed by the intrigue that precedes it, The Third is much more than just a witty pop record written by capable multi-instrumentalist siblings, recorded by a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee in a former dilapidated Indian restaurant. The Third is an engaging listen that paints a landscape of indie folk with shadows of nostalgia, reintroducing a classic touch of songwriting into a scene that has seemed largely been drenched in reverb for a few seasons.

Leading up to the album release, the band premiered a few songs from The Third with music videos for “Baby Bye Bye” and lead single “No Action,” featuring the group’s inimitable style and a penchant for dark humour. They also performed on Album de la Semaine on CANAL+ television in France last month that included the swinging opening track “Whenever You See Me.”

Unified by the collective style and voices of the Durham siblings throughout, the album also affords them plenty of opportunity to flex their considerable songwriting muscle. Switching between musical styles as easily as they swap instruments, the three pepper each track with ghosts of eras gone by – check out the thick R&B vibe on “Feeling Of Wonder” (on which Jones performs as a guest) or the unmistakably Hendrix-tinged shuffle on “Bitchin’ In The Kitchen.”

The production on The Third shines as brightly as the music within, actively keeping your attention without feeling like a slow or long listen. Recorded exclusively on 16-track analogue technology in a compact space – the entire setup fit into a room smaller than most rehearsal spaces, the musicians all facing one another as they worked – the album has the effect of bringing the listener into the studio with them, creating the illusion that the band is in the same room when listened at full volumes.

If you hear only one song from this record, make it the sultry show stopper throwback “Never Get Back.” Well placed in sequence, this track is a gem that well illustrates the themes and styles of The Third with fluid skill; warm analogue overhead accompanying aching vocals; and shimmering guitar tones giving way to tender strings give this song a timeless quality, a real highlight of the record.

Kitty, Daisy and Lewis are on tour across the United States now, however, they will appear at Lee’s Palace in Toronto on April 11, performing with Gemma Ray on their lone Canadian date before heading off to Japan and Europe to lead into the summer.

For more on Kitty, Daisy & Lewis or the band’s new album The Third, visit kittydaisyandlewis.com or follow on Twitter @kdandl. Tickets for their gig at Lee’s Palace on April 11 are $17.50, order online from ticketfly.com. The show is 19- plus, doors at 9 p.m.

And for more on the latest in music news, album reviews and more, follow this column on Twitter @fsu_bobbyisms. Studying for exams is important but don’t forget to make some time for yourself this week and support your local music scene. I’m out of words.