To open an album with a song named after the album itself you need a belief system (which they have already shown they have) and a set of bollocks that can be likened to that of Bear Grylls. The acoustic guitar and drums give the sense of a Mexican standoff which is further helped by the lyric “I’m the only fucking cowboy in this town.” As well as sounding like a concoction of an early 70s Peter Green Fleetwood Mac and a Fat Boy Slim dance tune with a build up straight off a house track. Each instrument blend together beautifully complimenting each other giving a sensation that acid was heavily used during production.
‘Nothing’ sounds like a love child between Patrick Carney and Julian Casablancas, with heavy drums that roll off the tongue and vocals that sound like they came from the early 2000s. With whirling guitar riffs, heavy sounding drums and melodic vocals enhanced with backing vocals creating a song that belongs to an indie night in the student clubs in every city. The lyrics create a carefree atmosphere whilst the drum fills are something Bonham would be proud of. (A personal favourite for a reason).
‘What is this’ is guitar driven with raw produced vocals that compliment the production. A song that sounds of a nude party record. The vocals are not overly produced creating a natural aspect to the recordings. The drums change the atmosphere of the song from reflective to optimistic in a drop of a hat. A more mellow ending compared to the rest of the album showing a different aspect of a true rock and roll band.
The album is an anomaly in today’s music scene standing solo and having no competitors, it could slot into any era of music and hold its own. A fresh sounding LP that brings something new in a day and age where cover bands like Greta Van Fleet and Maneskin are the face of what people deem as classic rock and roll, The Thing are a breath of fresh air in the field taking what the forefathers created and running with it as well as adding their own twist to it. ‘The thing is’ has a distinctive sound which all the influences can be seen within from the turned up distorted guitars of the Kinks, drums that sensitive ears need caution about like the Black Keys or the vocals that made Alex Turner want to be a part of. Elements of psych-rock, lo-fi and classic rock without the guilt that the band done something dodgy in the seventies.
The Thing: The Thing Is – Out 2nd February 2024