Another Form of Relief

One of the main problems that I have with the indie scene in general is that it doesn’t get angry enough, particularly in the political sense. Now I’m certainly not advocating that every band should be recording albums to campaign about the injustices of the day, but just a little more political comment would be nice. It’s not as if there’s a shortage of material to work with given the state of the world today. Of course, a few bands do seem to record the odd awful protest song (Bright Eyes, I’m looking at you), but no one really wants to tackle the issues in a meaningful way.

With that in mind, finding The Thermals was a breath of fresh air. The Thermals aren’t just angry. They are fucking angry. Their latest album, entitled The Body, The Blood, The Machine, an album about “a United States governed by a fascist Christian state, and focus on the need (and means) to escape.” A real fantasy scenario there then. Every song on the album should resonate in some way with people who keep up with cultural and political trends. Religion asserting it’s power on the population is a common theme, but the band also touch upon other relevant issues, from US foreign policy to the entitlement culture of the US (”We don’t think we’re special, sir / We know everybody is”).

This isn’t to say that there isn’t anything here for those who don’t care about the political either. The ignorant can still enjoy the sheer power of these songs. For a three piece, The Thermals certainly know how to make a big sound, powering through their songs with such urgency that they often tell a complete story and still hardly reach the two minute mark. Hutch Harris’ vocals come across in a way that isn’t all that different to John Darnielle. In a world where vocal quality doesn’t seem to be a big deal for rock bands, it’s nice to hear a band that actually has a clear and concise vocalist.

From The Body, The Blood, The Machine:

MP3 The Thermals - A Pillar of Salt (expired)
MP3 The Thermals - Here’s Your Future (expired)

Somehow, I’d managed to completely ignore The Thermals previously, despite them releasing three critically acclaimed albums on Sub Pop over the past five years. The advantage of that is that I get to explore a back catalog. The older material isn’t quite as politically savvy as the current release, but there is still a strong sense of criticising society throughout.

MP3 The Thermals - How We Know (expired)
MP3 The Thermals - A Stare Like Yours (expired)
MP3 The Thermals - No Culture Icons (expired)

The Body, The Blood, The Machine will be released in the UK on May 7, a mere nine months after the US release. The Thermals will then also spend the best part of a month touring around the UK.

The Thermals: Website || Myspace

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