The Thermals “Now We Can See”

The Thermals’ fourth studio release finds the band struggling to stray away from the raucous, lo-fi indie-rock sounds of previous releases. This time around there’s more hooks, production and less of what makes the Thermals a great band – sloppy, noisy, crunchy guitars; feedback galore, and fist-pumping anthems of atheism and soul (or lack thereof) searching.

That being said, “Now We Can See” isn’t a bad record. The end product is just not quite as rewarding as 2006’s “The Blood, The Body, The Machine,” an album that began the Thermals’ slow deviance from the music and style the band started originated with. The 2006 release achieved the band’s intention to drive toward a more mature sound, but fortunately hit the brakes before going too far. “Now We Can See” is what happens when things change a little too drastically.

Still, from the get-go, it’s definitely a Thermals record. Singer Hutch Harris retains his fiery, shouting vocals, which kick off the record from the first second of opener “When I Died.” The angst is still there, and so are the political-fueled lyrics, but there’s just something that feels a tad empty in the vocals. It might have to do with a loss of the almost-live or one-take feeling from the music. It’s easy to imagine the band in the studio working out the parts separately rather than just getting together in a small room and letting rip. Guitar melodies are extremely catchy this time around, but tend end up sounding a little too technical for the Thermals.

It doesn’t take complicated guitar playing or intricate note patterns in a solo to prove musical talent. It just takes passion and the ability to translate that into a record. The Thermals succeeded in making a record that is a hell of a lot better than all of the junk hitting the airwaves. “Now We Can See” feels like an attempt by the band to become more radio-friendly, which is the exact opposite of what makes the Thermals’ earlier records so appealing.

Final Rating: 6.5