Initially planning to share Flight Mode’s new EP, Tøyen, ’13, I discovered that it’s actually released on a LP alongside the band’s two previous EPs, TX, ’98 (2021) and Torshov, ’05 (2022). Notably, the EP titles reference specific locations and years, with The Three Times serving as the compilation’s moniker. It’s an intriguing project, both in terms of the music as in its approach and backstory.
The trilogy of EPs sees Sjur Lyseid, the Norwegian primary singer/songwriter of Flight Mode (Oslo), reflect on distinct periods in his life. In 1998, Lyseid ventured to Texas all by himself as a sixteen-year-old, with The Get Up Kids, Braid, and Deep Elm Records as the soundtrack to that chapter. Living in the Torshov borough in Oslo in 2005, he worked at a chain record store and released his first EP with his band, grappling with concerns about his favorite band Death Cab selling out. 2013 marked a turbulent year in which Lyseid lost a father and became one himself.
The Three Times is about recalling the past while acknowleding the fallibility of our memories and the pitfalls of excessive nostalgia. It’s a poignant and ambitious project that offers enjoyment on a surface level but even more so upon closer inspection. Reading along with the lyrics and liner notes will increase your appreciation for the thought and care that went into creating the songs.
But what does Flight Mode sound like, you may wonder? Like Flight Mode’s own spin on bands like The Weakerthans, Death Cab For Cutie and Jimmy Eat World I guess. Make up your own mind below.
The Three Times LP is out now on Sounds As Language.
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