Intrigued by Walter Russell's fringe science theories -- an inspiration obvious only in the album's title -- Thomas Mullarney III and Jacob Gossett discovered a way to metaphorically reframe a third LP of the simmering intrapersonal and interpersonal crises that have been their specialty since 2011. On Gravity Pairs, Mullarney's voice is more expressive than ever, possibly strengthened through continued touring and always signifying some degree of emotional upheaval. It more than ever resembles a composite of Thom Yorke and Abel Tesfaye minus the strain of the former and the theatrics of the latter. "Losing My Mind" is where it's at its most ringing, with Mullarney's vulnerable outpouring underscored only by plaintive piano and Mellotron-like string atmospheres -- the closest Beacon have gotten to making a certifiable belter. At other points, Mullarney yearns for spiritual or romantic salvation, laments a slow-motion detachment, and conveys a level of devotion that crosses into dependency. The songs underwent a painstaking revision process that sometimes involved simplification, but the likes of the driving "Over My Head" and hammer dulcimer-accented "Marion" in particular display that Mullarney and Gossett can still layer and manipulate sounds to intoxicating effect. Elements of drum'n'bass, house, and motorik Krautrock, as well as an allusion to footwork, are threaded with enough knowing skill that Beacon could have gotten away with claiming to have produced a variety of instrumental dancefloor tracks for the sake of incorporating or converting them into traditionally structured songs. (This being somewhat analogous to how Portishead ingeniously built a library of their own recordings for sampling.) Ultimately, this is another durable and condensed set of wounded love songs optimized for headphones and bedroom systems. The increased presence of Tycho drummer Rory O'Connor does give it a bit more might than the first two. ~ Andy Kellman, Rovi

1		Don't Go Looking
2		Be My Organ
3		Losing My Mind
4		Fields
5		On Ice
6		Marion
7		The Road
8		Bending Light
9		Over My Head
10		The War You're After

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