Disco de The Thrills: “So Much For the City”

This album is like listening to sunshine. As radiant with melody as "Pet Sounds" or "Younger Than Yesterday," "So Much for the City" is neither too derivative of its influences nor too removed from them to rival their majesty. That this album would be considered a landmark of rock 'n roll had it been released in the late 60s may make a case for the criticism it gets as self-conscious -- but tell me what art is NOT self conscious? All art is in some way derivative of some particular sphere of influence, otherwise it could not exist. And anyway, if self-consciousness sounds this gorgeous, I'll take it over confidence any day of the week. These guys get it just right: a perfect balance of explosiveness ("One Horse Town"; "Don't Steal Our Sun") and restraint ("Deckchairs and Cigarettes"; "'Til The Tide Comes In"). However, I think that critics who accuse The Thrills of of an overwhelming awareness of their roots are actually responding to the album's considerable loss of momentum towards the second half. Suddenly the crackling melodies are replaced by vaguely interesting organ solos, drum beats and a scant few guitar licks. Songs like "Old Friends, New Lovers" or "Hollywood Kids" tend to meander where earlier tracks knew exactly where they wanted to go and got there in a hurry, and the result is a kind of tired and inferior rehashing of well-worn musical territory. But the glorious and resounding bursts of harmonica and organ on the closer, "'Til The Tide Creeps In" are so moving as to resurrect the entire album into a near-masterpiece. Indeed I think it is just that: an album that aspires toward immortality and only misses by a hair.

Along with Fountains of Wayne's "Welcome Interstate Managers," Endgames' "Daybreak to Sunset" and The Jayhawks' "Rainy Day Music"...this is one of the best albums of 2003. A masterpiece. Every song is terrific. You never reach for the skip button. In particular, "Santa Cruz (You're Not That Far)," "Big Sur" and "One Horse Town" are a joy to listen to. Beautiful harmonies in the vein of the Beach Boys and Teenage Fanclub. Instrumentation is gorgeous. It's one of those albums that doesn't sound like it was made during any specific time period. It could have been in the 60's or today. Terrific!!!!

After reading some of the critical reviews about the Thrills, I decided to add my own. I hate the way people compare them to a certain artist and then bash them for not sounding more like them. If you want to hear that artist, go out and buy them. I don't like to compare The Thrills to any other band because I that takes away from their own originality. I enjoy the band to a great extent. No, they're not going to change the world with their music but I enjoy some laid back music every now and again. The soothing sounds of Conor's voice is what hooked me when I heard them for the first time on Fordham University Radio. I felt that after hearing the tired repetition of what's on the radio these days, I heard a refreshing change. Seeing them live hooked me in even more and made my friend a new fan, along with 50 others enjoying the show. They're not fancy, just real down to earth music. You can hear that in the hidden last song's lyrics "Can't see you smiling pumping gas". Not looking for any deep profound meaning is just solid good music. They have good catchy hooks and every once in a while, I catch myself humming a one of their song and smile. Ahh... the simplicity of it all.

There was a time in the early 1970's when music like this was so common we'd take it for granted. America. The Doobie Brothers. The Eagles. The Byrds. That easy-grooving, mellow rock that never sounded even remotely like a compromise between rock and mellow. That was, in the purest sense MUSIC.

Those times have gone, and only on rarest of occasions do we spot a glimmer of that which was. Acts like Split Enz who became Crowded House. The Housemartins who became the Beautiful South. Songs to tap your feet to without embarassment. Melodies to lift the soul. Hooks to sink your ears into. Words to carefreely join along with.

Welcome to this elite group, The Thrills. God knows where kids this age ever learned how to play like this - or even how a band from Dublin managed to score a magnu cum laude California sound.

Like David Gray's "Babylon", don't expect to even notice tracks like "Big Sur" the first time you hear it on the radio (unless your ear pricks up at that line about "Hey, hey, we're the monkeys"). At about the 3rd or 4th play, you'll start to pick up on it and by the 20th play, you'll be running out to buy the album.

And then it won't leave your CD changer for about a year.

This disk is Copy Controlled and not completely compatible with all CD players. It may not play on your device. Be careful.