REVIEW: Desperate Ground by the Thermals

        The Thermals are a very hard band to describe. After five really good albums, The Thermals have created a unique sound, but it's almost impossible to pinpoint exactly what that sound is.  On their Facebook page they say they are "post-pop-punk".  Wikipedia describes them as indie rock, lo-fi, power pop, and rock. I would describe them as punk with many other things sprinkled in. "Desperate Ground" is another Thermals album in every way possible, but the album still feels fresh and different from their other music. Maybe it's the increase of distortion, or maybe it's the extreme energy of the album, but something about this album that sounds so familiar still manages to sound unique and different. With trashing power cords, cryptic lyrics, and energy that soars through the roof, The Thermals have created another album that is a genre of it's own, yet still feels familiar, and it works out fantastically. The albums is a blast to listen to and the lyrics are always very intricate, especially compared to other punk bands. The only problem with the album I have is that most of the songs sound relatively similar. With the vocals being distorted in the same way, the whole album sounds one big song. A little more variety would be nice and this album just par for the course for The Thermals, but I'm not unhappy with the finished product. It feels right as an album and flows nicely. The earlier and more pop sounding tracks give way to a different sound towards the end of the album. If you somehow don't like The Thermals, you won't like this album, but if you're a fan, this is another great Thermals album that has been standard since More Parts Per Million  and that was perfected on The Body, The Blood, The Machine. My final score is 7/10 stars for being very good, but feeling a bit repetitive and formulaic for the band.

BEST TRACKS: The Sunset, I Go Alone, The Sword By My Side, You Will Find Me, The Howl of The Winds

★★★★★★★☆ ☆ ☆