Thunderbirds Are Now!
Make History
Frenchkiss
On their third full-length release, Detroit’s Thunderbirds Are Now! continue to make good use of their keyboards and samplers. The indie/experimental/dance group are slicker and poppier on this follow-up to 2005’s Justamustache, and somehow manage to tread in water that is, on one hand, pretty close to Panic! At the Disco, but on the other, quite Nirvana-esque.
How can a band sound both like the gods of grunge, and the princes of emo-pop? By mixing emotive and clear vocals with catchy power chords and heavy drum-beat choruses – “Shit Gold” being a good example of the first and “The Veil Comes Down” of the latter. Toss in layers of keyboard dynamics over the verses and we’re steering into the territories of Brit-pop – Blur, The Smiths – and its modern repetitors (Is that a word? It is now.) like Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand and Hot Hot Heat. Make History was produced by John Schmersal, so the influence of Braniac is also all over this release.
Now, schizophrenic influences acknowledged, TAN! have still managed to put out a highly listenable, terribly danceable piece of indie rock goodness. Is it gonna rocket this band to superstardom? Probably not, but it will cram full a club or two.
Thunderbirds Are Now!: http://www.thunderbirdsarenow.com
