The Thermals - The BodyThe Blood The Machine

Sun 22nd Oct, 2006 in Music Reviews

If the title of The Thermals’ new album, The Body, The Blood, The Machine, doesn’t give away the very spiritual nature of the album, the cover will. It takes guts to put a picture of Jesus on the cover of an album that is spiritual, not religious, and it takes even more guts to make the opening line of that album, “God reached his hand, down from the sky, he flooded the land and he set it on fire.” And, while the high tempo, guitar driven songs of this album may not appeal to everyone, anyone who doesn’t give this album a listen is doing themselves a disservice, and missing out on one of the best albums of 2006.

The Thermals are a three piece hailing from Portland, Oregon, and they have been around since 2002, when they were signed to Sub Pop within months of forming. Their new album is the first to get major exposure here in Australia, although if all their previous work is as strong as their new album, it’s hard to understand why.

The Thermals play raucous, short rock songs, with the ten track album clocking in at 35 minutes, and only the last three songs sticking around past the four minute mark. Front man Hutch Harris uses a unique combination of shouting and singing his vocals; he never feels constrained to follow the rhythm of the instruments behind them, and this interplay is part of what makes The Thermals special. Of course, it also takes expert musicians to make this work, and Lorin Coleman on the drums is the driving force behind the songs. Kathy Foster also does excellent work on the bass, although a lot of the time you really have to listen carefully to hear it.

Album opener Here’s Your Future begins the full on assault on both the senses and the spirit with a racketing guitar riff playing behind tales of Noah and Jesus. I Might Need You To Kill is more of the same, as is An Ear For Baby. Hit single A Pillar Of Salt has been getting radio airplay, and so it should; its one of the best songs of the year, tying the rocketing sounds of The Thermals together under a synth line.

Returning To The Fold is based around a power guitar riff that, in lesser hands, would have been brought to the fore to drown out everything else, but in this song, it’s nicely understated. Test Pattern, purely by way of being slower than the other songs, feels almost like a ballad, while Saint Rosa And The Swallows uses another repeated guitar riff to drive itself forward.

Album closers Back To The Sea, Power Doesn’t Run On Nothing, and I Hold The Sound all clock in at over four minutes, and although it feels like its dragging its heels a little, by this stage the band has earned it. Besides, they’re still excellent songs, with Power Doesn’t Run On Nothing being the album’s second best track.

This album is a call to arms, and at the same time, it’s an intensely personal and introspective journey for Harris – it’s clear why they attracted the attention of Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard. But The Thermals aren’t here to lead an army. Instead, all they’re asking you to do is think a little harder about the world around you. Oh, and they wouldn’t mind if you danced a little too – there’s not a single song here that isn’t danceable, in one way or another. The Thermals are at their best when they seem on the verge of losing control of the songs altogether, and then drag the song back from the edge. It’s these exciting moments which make this album such a treasure to behold, and one of the best albums of the year.