Five years in the making, Aotearoa art-rock band The Dark Third’s debut album, Even As The Light Grows, is well worth the wait. Charging guitar riffs give way to soaring string parts and strong saxophone lines, and chaotic noise fades to reveal introspective piano melodies. Daniel Hay’s lyrics and vocal performance evoke times of loneliness, dreaming and pastoral wonder. Underpinned by a solid bass presence and colourful drums, the atmosphere on the album tends towards darkness, but always manages to find catharsis.