Not A Bad Comeback
The Thrills have really got some work to do. Third album in and the haunting past of the unsuccessful second release 'Let's Bottle Bohemia' is still in the air, spreading quicker than the television advertisements trying to promote their all of a sudden eco-friendly companies. News of a fresh Thrills album allowed the tales of the pretty terrible one prior to, to become unearthed.
'Teenager' takes on a completely different angle. Conor Deasy is still about, generally vocally incomparable, and the continual theme of nothing changing, or an urgency to escape is still evident. Fortunately for the lads, 'Teenager' appears to appeal to a wider, more universal audience. Not everybody finds themselves born in Ireland, singing as though Californians, ultimately leading to the two previous albums aimed at what in hindsight looks like a rather niche market. 'Teenager' provides an insight into an adolescent mind- teenage angst is portrayed in true Thrills style- positive exuberance as opposed to music that at times becomes depressive and dark, often found in acts such as My Chemical Romance and Bloc Party. The widespread- at least the Western world, connection is definitely going to work in this bands favour.
The whole concept of 'Teenager' is expressed from the off- 'Midnight Choir' is possibly the best track on the album, Deasy's voice engaging, the lyrics appreciative and well rounded. Other track names such as "This Year", "I'm Sorry" and "Should've known better" express the comparative theme- battling the regrets made with growing up and the improvement of life, suspiciously relative to past albums perhaps? It's the lyrics that drag you in- the music is typical of the Thrills, but the maturity ironically in the words is evident listen after listen. The whole album is pretty likeable, the chord structure is pleasant and the Irish influences are being allowed to shine through more significantly then they have done prior.
Writing about youth and the envy of youth has allowed the band to express with such ease. Reflection becomes personal to all, inspiring vocal harmonies and floaty melodies allow this to be possible. Yet as the album continues, you realise why they had to expand. After a while, the lads find themselves trapped in the typical Thrills dimensions- repetition of claustrophobic towns and stuffy environments hits them every now and then. It's all well and good sticking to what you know, but criticism suggests from "Let's Bottle Bohemia" that the boys perhaps shouldn't follow such advice. Once I came away from 'Teenager', I found myself humming tracks off the first album, again emphasising the beauty of "So Much For The City", and highlighting that they appreciate the winning formula. This unfortunately isn't as good as the first, but it's better than the second- so that's a good sign! I understood it better, I liked the theme and I liked the exploration of the teenage heart. The kids should love it, and I expect these guys to be a huge hit at this year's summer V festival. The Thrills feel like old timers with all the emerging acts, but I think it's safe to say that country indie is back to its best.