Now We Can See (Bonus Track Version)

iTunes Review

The Thermals attack everything with a punk rocker’s sense of power and aggression — and in the past their political insights were strongly bolstered by the angry strum. Their fourth album, Now We Can See maintains the Portland, Ore. duo’s previous recorded power (live, they perform as a trio) with their pop side gaining ground, even if the songs handle more death than usual. “When I Died,” “We Were Sick,” and “I Let It Go” do brave battle with the existential questions that have perplexed philosophers for centuries. Adding a harmony here and a tough guitar chord there, the Thermals turn what could be a bleak future into something worth banking on. The title track eschews literal words for a singalong jumble of nonsensical syllables to take the weight off Hutch Harris’ near amphetamine rant. “At the Bottom of the Sea” slows things to a midtempo, heart-swooning guitar churn that comes to a dramatic stop at the midpoint and eventually dissolves in swampy feedback. “When I Was Alive” immediately charges back at full force, showing why the Thermals are among the more impressive bands to emerge in the new century.