- Release Info -------------------------------------------------------------- -
Artist: Thomas Function
Album: In The Vally Of Sickness
Label: Fat Possum Records
Playtime: 38:19 min
Genre: Indie
URL: http://www.myspace.com/thomasfunction
Rip date: 2009-11-11
Street date: 2009-10-13
Size: 53.80 MB
Type: Normal
Quality: 187 kbps / 4410kHz / Joint Stereo
- Release Notes ------------------------------------------------------------- -
"Are you gonna buy a record or what?" When a band starts a tune (in this case
called "Picking Scabs") by asking that musical question with a serious dose
of snotty vocal whine, you can tell they've spent some time on the road
flogging their merch, and Thomas Function did more than their fair share of
touring in support of their 2008 debut, Celebration. The follow-up, In the
Valley of Sickness, finds the band sounding significantly tighter and more
muscular than on their first full-length; Zach Jeffries' keyboards show more
sonic variety this time out, bassist Travis Thompson and drummer Phillip
Dougherty know just how hard to hit and keep the music moving forward with
Θlan, and John Macero's guitar work splits the difference between the snark
of late-'70s punk and the attitude of '60s garage rock. Most of what made
Celebration a pleasant surprise is reprised on In the Valley of Sickness,
though this album is weighed down by that traditional nemesis of young bands,
The Sophomore Songwriting Slump. Thomas Function's melodies are more than
strong on their second album, but the lyrics don't cut as deep (the lead-off
track, "ADP Blues," may be the least alarming call for violence against
police officers to surface in ages), and "Two Pigs" and "Not Asking for Much"
lift familiar hooks from (respectively) Ray Davies and the Feelies, though
there's no arguing that they borrow from the best. If Celebration was a
unexpectedly great debut, In the Valley of Sickness is a good follow-up; as a
band, they're every bit as good and maybe even better, but they ought to give
themselves a bit more downtime to write material before they step up for
Album Number Three.
- Track List ---------------------------------------------------------------- -
01. ADP Blues ( 2:48)
02. Day In the Shade ( 2:28)
03. Picking Scabs ( 2:24)
04. Waverly ( 2:09)
05. Ew Way Ew ( 3:11)
06. Belly of the Beast ( 2:25)
07. When I Was A King ( 4:58)
08. How Does It Feel ( 2:30)
09. Magic City ( 3:10)
10. Two Pigs ( 3:22)
11. Not Asking For Much ( 4:16)
12. No End In Sight ( 4:38)
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