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Now We Can See
The Thermals
Reviewed by: Casey Clague [Sun, April 12, 2009 @ 10:39:11 AM]
The Thermals have never lacked in catchiness. Even with their lo-fi debut, More Parts Per Million, their flare for pop panache stood out among all the fuzz. That, coupled with the band’s raw punk energy and outspoken socio-political topicality, made them a rare commodity in the indie-rock world. Their sophomore effort, Fuckin A continued in the same vein and the band reached their pinnacle with 2007’s fantastic The Body, The Blood, the Machine.
On their fourth full-length, Now We Can See, The Thermals have veered slightly closer to power-pop musically, and are focusing more on existential topics than the scathing anti-religion tropes of The Body, The Blood, The Machine. Which is not to say that frontman Hutch Harris’ lyrics are any less poignant. His finger is firmly on the pulse of his generation’s societal disenchantment and desire for substance among the vapidity. His vocal delivery—somewhat akin to a slam poet’s ferocity—is a perfect match for the band’s driving guitars and insistent rhythm section. And, as previously mentioned, The Thermals know how to wrap a melody around their lyrics to help the medicine go down. Bassist Kathy Foster has been with Harris since the beginning—along with a revolving door of drummers—and her backing vocals are as integral a part to the songs’ gripping effect as Harris’ lyrics.
Fans don’t flock to The Thermals for dynamism, and this is just as evident on Now We Can See as their previous releases. But the need to switch up the pace isn’t necessary for The Thermals. The prerequisite slow number is found in “At the Bottom of the Sea”, but the rest of the album, especially “When I Died”, “When We Were Alive” and the title track, packs so much punch you’ll forget that all the songs are structured similarly.
Rating: 8 out of 10
RIYL: Green Day, Ted Leo, Times New Viking,
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