Say What You Mean

Last year's More Parts Per Million was very good and had a few truly outstanding songs ("Back To Gray" and "Born Dead" chief among those), but this year the Thermals are even more passionate, more necessary and more better.

Fuckin A, the album they released in May, still stands as one of the strongest albums of the year, a half hour of power that feels more whole and complete than many albums twice its length. From "Our Trip", the mission statement that opens the record ("We're talking shit, our slate is clean, say what you mean...we're not listening"), to the sonic squeal that begins "Keep Time" and on to the final minute-long "Top Of The Earth", the Thermals offer no breathers. Hutch Harris' songwriting has improved since More Parts, where it was already fantastic, and his voice expertly conveys the urgency inherent in his writing. He's ready to rival Ted Leo as one of the most intelligent lyricists around, peep this from "A Stare Like Yours": "When you don't have control, you pretend...a stare like yours is hard to find, it's ultraviolet." Kathy Foster's drumming is phenomenal and producer Chris Walla cleans shit up just enough. Fucking A is right, listen to the Thermals:

The Thermals - "Remember Today"

Visit the Thermals:

The Thermals' Website