Info: Last week saw the release of Dublin noise-rock n' pop n' punk-garage lo-fi quartet THUMPER's third EP, Pop! Goes The Weasel. The latest extended play hits our ears ahead of their secret location EP launch this Friday night where they will have support from Just Mustard and Chinese Newspaper (event info here).
A retro 70's sci-fi transmission heralds the opening minute and a half of Pop! Goes the Weasel, culminating in a minimalistic ear-bleed. We then tear into first single, 'The Loser', it's unsurprisingly raucous, and we'd be devastated if it wasn't, the chorus line of 'I am a loser baby, lose yourself with me' is simple yet genius in equal measure, and then there's that bass solo at 2:05, Christ on a bike.
THUMPER - The Loser
'The Circles' has a very DIY garage-band feel to it, disillusioned grunge and teenage apathy are the order of the day, again THUMPER are keenly aware of when to drop a break into a track and use it as a platform from which to escalate the tempo and mania. Sun-kissed Californian neo-psychedelia rears its head on 'The Part That I Always Leave Out', and at times feels like the closest you will get to previous EP Magnum Opuss. It's a thoroughly enjoyable highlight on this collection, and you start to fully appreciate the overall use of vocal effects at this point.
We finish with latest single 'Fear of Art', in the review of which I noted that I was getting strong Dandy Warhols debut album vibes from it, it was only a couple of weeks ago but I'm still in that space, and I'm glad I am as it is still a classic album from the Oregon band. Here THUMPER make everything seem and sound so easy, rolling rhythms both musically and vocally get their claws into you with no resistance. Pop! Goes the Weasel wrestles more with the listener than its predecessors, as THUMPER evolve their sound we get to witness distinct changes taking hold, creatively they are a band that refuse to stand still, and we will be the primary benefactors of that defiance.
Like & Listen & Follow:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hellothumper
Bandcamp: https://thumpermusic.bandcamp.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thumper666
