The New Music

The Thermals Personal Life [Kill Rock Stars]

Need to know: From Portland, Oregon, The Thermals began as an evolution of folk duo of Hutch & Kathy, whose Hutch Harris and Kathy Foster would go on to become the backbone and only remaining members of the band. Signing to Sub Pop in 2002, the band released their debut album, More Parts Per Million, the next year with Jordan Hudson on drums and Ben Barnett on guitar. Hutch took over on guitar after Barnett left and The Thermals downsized to a trio for the second album, Fuckin’ A, which was produced by Death Cab For Cutie’s Chris Walla and released the next year. Inspired by the Bush administration, the third album, 2006’s The Body, The Blood, The Machine was a concept album produced by Fugazi’s Brendan Canty that “tells the story of a young couple who must flee a United States governed by fascist faux-Christians.” Hudson left his post as drummer during the album’s recording sessions, which were completed by Foster. For their fourth album, Now We Can See, the band left Sub Pop and signed with Kill Rock Stars. Once again Foster filled in on drums, but added Westin Glass once the album was finished. Chris Walla returned to record the fifth Thermals album, Personal Life, which is described by the label as an entire LP “about the concept of a connection between two people - making it, breaking it, and faking it.”

In a 100 words or so: If consistency was rewarded in music, The Thermals would have received many gold stars and/or blue ribbons for their first four albums. Their punchy, distorted arrangements and Hutch’s knack for turning vitriolic rants into spit-covered anthems have made them an anomaly in an industry that rarely sees a band put out two great albums, let alone four. Personal Life mostly puts their political and religious hang-ups on hold to focus on music’s most generous subject: love. Book ended by “I’m Gonna Change Your Life” and “You Changed My Life,” the album unfolds like any relationship, going through ups and downs to reveal a tumultuous experience. Albums about “love, loss and… lies!” (as the press release states) have been done to death, but there’s something about the band’s scrappy sound that gives such clichéd subject matter an air of novelty almost. As with any Thermals album, you can always expect at least one track to be a fist-pumping, rush of adrenaline (see “No Culture Icons,” “Our Trip,” “A Pillar of Salt” and “I Let It Go”), which “I Don’t Believe You,” one of the band’s finest moments delivers in full. While their sound will never progress beyond three chords (here’s to hoping), the concepts keep coming and Personal Life is the band’s most relatable effort yet, not to mention deserving of another one of those gold stars, or blue ribbons, whichever.

Best track: “I Don’t Believe You”

R.I.Y.L. Superchunk, The Hold Steady, Ted Leo + The Pharmacists, Titus Andronicus, Les Savy Fav, Japandroids, The Weakerthans

Rating: 7/10

Buy, download, steal or don’t bother: Buy.

Sample: “I Don’t Believe You”

Website: TheThermals.com