The Thermals - More Parts Per Million

I read somewhere that this album was made for $60. Whether that's true or not, it should at least clue you into the sound quality of the recording. Though transferred over to two-inch tape when Chris Walla of Death Cab for Cutie mixed the album, it still suffers from a layer of distortion haunting every recorded sound. Apparently, this was all done purposely to "force the listener" into new frame of mind regarding sound recording… or something. Amazingly, singer/founder Hutch Harris cuts a line straight through the mess with his nasally yet tremendously singable melodies. The set starts out with two reasonably fine cuts, but it's not until "No Culture Icons" that the fun really begins. With this its "hardly art" chorus, it should induce a sing-a-long within seconds. The album is a pretty consistent collection of tunes, with none stepping too far out of the freakbeat, rock-pop bounds set by the preceding song. Still, watch out for the "My Little Machine", "Back To Gray", and the highlight of the album, "A Passing Feeling", which introduces itself with a catchy hook. The song is further punctuated by its drum breaks, which allow for a bit of aural relaxation and change of pace from the lo-fi barrage. In the 13-song set, the only thing that takes away is, unsurprisingly, the sound quality. While "produced" sounds are overrated, clean sounds are definitely not. Pro-Tools is not the answer. Maybe an 8-track? In the end, it's all up to what your ears can take, and you'd probably need to hear part of the record before you make up your mind. At a little over 27 minutes in length, you might not even cringe. While it's quite endearing at times, here's to hoping their next two records don't sound exactly the same. [www.thethermals.com]