3rd Secret album review: Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden collab lies in the realm of K-pop, only a touch darker

When it was announced that a new band with former members of three internationally acclaimed grunge outfits was formed and there was a surprise album too, the excitement among unsuspecting fans was truly extraordinary. Given that the bands in question were seminal grunge acts that contributed most significantly to the origin of the genre, the levels of enthusiasm were certainly understandable, and expectations were definitely sky-high.

Without a hint, on 11 April Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil, Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic, and Soundgarden and Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron collectively announced the formation of 3rd Secret, a band that’ll also feature Bubba Dupree, guitarist for hardcore band Void, and vocalists Jennifer Johnson and Jillian Raye, who handle singing duties in Novoselic’s other band Giants in the Trees.

Nirvana, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam are the holy trinity of the mid '80s to early '90s grunge, with Soundgarden becoming the first of the lot to sign a major record deal that brought late vocalist Chris Cornell worldwide success. Nirvana’s fame is legendary while Pearl Jam are one of the few that endure in the world of rock music even today.

So, the announcement was akin to Metallica, Judas Priest and Black Sabbath members declaring that they’ve formed a new band and have an album out. Except that this hypothetical self-titled album is somewhere in the realm of K-pop, only a touch darker.

The album 3rd Secret is a reminder that the newly-formed band itself never claimed to be some nostalgia trip of a genre with little presence in the world today. They made no promises about being grunge or some derivative of it, nor did they loftily call themselves a supergroup like most media outlets did. So, the disappointment is not as much their fault as it is our haste in presuming that their past will re-manifest in our present.

Image from Instagram - @themattcameron

It doesn’t and the first song 'Rhythm of the Ride' should’ve been the writing on the wall. Slow and lilting with Jennifer and Jillian’s vocals and acoustic strumming, the country folk song is replete with harmonies that sound like Enya trying to be in a rock band. On its own, the song is actually quite soothing on the ears and refreshing considering the sonic grime one associates grunge with. It forces you to listen to it without the baggage of band members and creates a calming experience like some kind of rock-n-roll spa.

The next song, 'I Choose Me', is the best in the album. Deliberately staggered drumming and guitar riffs that we were expecting, this is as close to our perception of a grunge collective that we imagined 3rd Secret to be. It makes you miss that one commanding, quivering, growling grunge voice like Chris Cornell or Kurt Cobain or even early Eddie Vedder. Instead, we have two vocalists who allow the instruments to shine and despite hitting the lower register convincingly, they end up sounding like backup vocalists.

'Last Day of August' is vintage Soundgarden as tempos shift and sound as experimental as the band did back in the day. 'Winter Solstice' is a Nordic version of Page and Plant’s solo project, sounding as unmistakable as their exotic instrumentation. The interplay between Thayil and Dupree creates a unique sound, challenging you to abort typecasting your expectation of the album. 

This is followed by 'Lies Fade Away', a song that brings memories of 90s sub-pop and early grunge as Cameron mellowly but decisively drums away. By the time we reach 'Live Without You', the vocal harmonies begin to sound annoying. Having two female vocalists isn’t easy but bands like ABBA have shown what powerful vocal cords can do. 

At the halfway mark of the album, we finally let go of expectations and resign ourselves to the boredom that this experience is highlighting. With 'Right Stuff' opening to some harmonium like tunes and 'Dead Sea' exuding full-on weed smoker vibes, you realise that the purposeful pace of the album is not to head bang but to groove like it’s one extended hallucination hippie trip without the funk.

'Diamond in the Cold' would’ve been a far superior song as an instrumental as the guitar really drives home the melody and we’re left nostalgic about an era where earnest songwriting, powerful drumming, reverberating riffs and vulnerable vocals defined what it was to be in a grunge band. 

'Somewhere in Time' too is a slightly mellow version of the Diamond experience that brings the indie and alternative rock vibe together with a tamer grunge shadow. The album ends with 'The Yellow Dress', an upbeat, cheerful song that is 7 minutes long and halfway through it ends up sounding like an homage to 'Black Hole Sun'.

In isolation, the album 3rd Secret is a polished, well-behaved, politically correct album that sings of love and longing. Seen in the context of the band members’ grunge history, it is a restrained, matured and removed effort that sounds a bit like a bunch of people who once had a wild past.

Check out the album here

Senior journalist Lakshmi Govindrajan Javeri has spent a good part of two decades chronicling the arts, culture and lifestyles.

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