The Thing – Self-Titled Review

Sifting through advance streams, master tapes, and unopened parcels is often the best way to surprise yourself. When you need that fresh kick from a band whose presence in the world was unknown until the moment you received an email with their work. Part of sampling new genres and artists is through this randomised assortment. Does it mean some are destined to be at the bottom of the pile through bad luck alone? Yes. But for those whose work has been pulled from an ever-growing pile of contemporary releases, future classics, and wastes of time, it means coverage. The Thing has a delightful consistency in the titles of their three albums. Their self-titled third album is an answer to the statements found in their earlier works. What is the thing? Here is the thing. It’s a playfulness which carries in their music, a reinvention of the indie rock genre, and a welcome breath of fresh air. 

Urgency is what the genre needs, what it has been lacking for so long. Not just any old sound, but there needs to be a focus on the hard and fast style of playing. The Thing offers that brilliantly with opener Super Stoopid, a song far from the dense suggestion of its title. The Thing is a coming together of influences from any genre the band has been moved by. What could have been a mess is actually quite cathartic. It ties the loose ends of their sound, those moments in the studio which could lead somewhere but are not quite over the line. Throwing those pieces to the wall and seeing what sticks offers a hard, confident tone for the album. A frenetic energy, too, is utilised well. Because of that wilder sound of piecing together parts of different genres, the group creates a sound that’ll keep you guessing where each song is headed. Most of the surprises are welcome, well-placed, and offer a great time.  

They elevate what could have been ordinary pieces of rock and roll, and part of the charm is in hearing the influences of the band at work. To name them would be to discredit just how far The Thing has evolved the musicians whose claws are in their creative process. Take a song like Can You Help Me, that vocal style is recognisable for those who spend their evenings with the classics of the early 1970s. But The Thing is clear in where they want to take their sound. Overhauling it as they do, with memorable guitar work and steady percussion, gives their self-titled effort a timelessness. The Thing are a band confident of their influences. It instils a brilliance in their third album which, in a just world, would have them topping charts and touring on bigger stages. 

Any band that knows of Prime Mutton is worth a listen. The Thing’s third album is an absolute creamer. Experiencing the cooler grooves, the subtle touches heard on The Thing is a pleasure. They are kicking against the humdrum minds, the listener whose attention is elsewhere. Tremendous pieces like Waltz and album closer Fresh Cream are some all-time great modern indie rock moments. Hate and love in tandem is an inevitability of any genre. What you do with it, how a band moulds those tones, is crucial. The Thing has such a clear grasp of their message, and they bring it to life with some fantastic instrumental thrills. Sound Carriers has some positively brilliant playing, a moment to highlight the skills of the band beyond their lyrics and message. The Thing is your new favourite band, you just don’t know it yet.