More Parts Per Million
Sub Pop
2003
Rating: 7.5 evidence tamperers out of 10
It would be real easy to lump the Thermals in with all the other flavor-of-the-month bands whose names begin with ‘The’. Before I had even heard them I had already made assumptions about their sound based on their name and CD cover. I’m glad I listened to it anyways, because it’s damn good. It has elements that would make it fit in well with all of the other ‘The’ bands - lo-fi production and sound, punk sensibilities, relatively simple power chord structured songs, etc. But what sets these guys apart from the rest are the songs - so very catchy; and the singer - who does the best Robert Pollard impersonation I’ve heard in some time. These guys combine a little punk, a little jangle pop, and a whole ton of Guided By Voices into this album(minus the obtuse lyrics that Mr. Pollard usually comes up with, those may never be matched or topped). At such a young age, The Thermals seemed to have already grasped the concept of what makes a good pop song - short, sweet, to the point. Thirteen songs clocking in at under 30 minutes, every minute packed full of goodness, not a down moment the whole time.
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