III

Unexpected returns are always welcome, and Vision Fortune coming back with new music felt unlikely after 2015. But here they are with Vision Fortune III on Gringo Records, following their last album, Country Music, released on ATP Records.

The trio committed to making a new record during a long pasta-and-wine lunch in Palermo, Sicily. The next morning brought sore heads and mild panic: flights were booked, a cottage in rural Wales was reserved, and there was no backing out.

They arrived in Machynlleth, Wales the following spring with a clear setup: live takes, minimal songs, and the fireplace roaring. Andres Ayerbe’s disciplined roast lamb dinner schedule helped shape a calmer, more understated record than before.

III finds Vision Fortune exploring a softer, subtler side, with extra overdubs added in New York City and Birmingham by AC Williams and Alex Townend. The result is a leaner version of the band: more meat, less fat.