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eMusic Contributor

Christopher R. Weingarten is a freelance music writer living in Brooklyn, whose work can currently be seen in The Village Voice, Spin, Revolver, NYLON, and much...more »

09.03.10

The brittle sound of a lovesick teen as filtered through the adult neuroses smart enough to micromanage it

2010 | Label: Kill Rock Stars / Redeye

The fifth album from bubble-punk gnashers the Thermals is a perfect pop gambit for 1993. The spirit of Alternative Nation is alive and kicking in the tireless trio, who spent tour dates around 2009's Now We Can See sneaking covers of Sonic Youth, Nirvana, the Breeders and Green Day into their set. Naturally, Personal Life is their most We-Love-The-'90s LP to date, an instant Buzz Bin classic full of muscular, mid-tempo grunge-pop (recorded to tape!) that would fit neatly between Local H and Toadies on any given Beavis & Butt-Head episode.

Personal Life is ostensibly a concept album about love, loss and lies; and lead belter Hutch Harris is perfectly suited for the task, his nasal whine a perfect mix of snotty and vulnerable, cocky and sensitive. It's Cuomo self-doubt filtered through Cobain's pedal chain. Their sound is increasingly becoming major-label ready: the Elvis Costello jaunt of "I Don't Believe You," the bittersweet Blink-182-isms of "Never Listen To Me," the Pixies-meets-Grease 20th-century breakdown of "Only For You." But Harris maintains his scrappy lo-fi edge as he goes from overbearing asshole boyfriend to a needy husk by albums end. The melancholy near-emo of… read more »

Someone dated this guy?

File under: I want my downloads back. Phoned in garbage that has no business seeing the light of day. Whiny sub emo whatever that basically screams 15 y/o getting dumped for the first time. Frankly, the person doing the dumping won on this deal. Who would put up with someone this annoying. Now, if you're a 14 y/o and want to know what it's going to feel like the first time a breakup occurs... this could be for you, but I'm just not feeling it AT ALL. That said, I loved Now We Can See, but this... it's like those Mountain Goats CDs that are made just to release a disc.

The Thermals turn up the heat

This trio from Portland never dissapoint. Their 2009 "Now We Can See" was a dazzler and this 2010 follow-up is even more impressive with its rapid-fire delivery of catchy songs and indie/punk goodness. Lead singer Hutch Harris has a similar swagger of Mick Jagger and the punk sensibilities of Joey Ramone. I really dig this band. Highly recommended.