It is often said that there is beauty in simplicity. This idea was exemplified by the punk rock movement of the early ’70s, which emerged in response to the musical indulgence of progressive art rock and commercial orientation of arena rock. Punk bands used fast, rhythmic riffs, simple chord progressions, and resentful lyrics to develop an anti-establishment aesthetic.
The punk rock movement created music more impressive in its power than its prowess; the passionate anger permeating these songs could sweep a listener off his feet. Desperate Ground harkens back to this era, and it possesses both the power and the deficiencies that come with such a simplistic sound.
The best feature of The Thermal’s new album is the sheer power of its songs. Hutch Harris plays the role of a jack-of-all-trades, delivering power vocals and heavy guitar riffs. His vocals have a similar tenor to those of Billy Joe Armstrong of Green Day, but he alternates between singing and shouting. The shouting sections can be grating on the ears at first, but upon several listens they become enjoyable. They give off an aura of chaos and contrast nicely with periods of more melodic vocals at random intervals, leaving the listener perpetually confused about the direction of the song. This technique, in addition to the songs’ lack of verse-chorus structure, makes the album feel more like an ongoing adventure than a complete story.
Dystopic lyrics convey a distrust in government and organized religion, often describing a conflict between a “we” and an “it,” an “us versus them” mentality that symbolizes the disconnect between the people and the administration. This conflict is brought to life by a barrage of violent imagery and references to war. In “You Will Be Free,” Harris sings, “We are alive / we will fight till the end / you will be free / you will be free soon again,” a lyric reminiscent of anarchy.
Other lyrics have an atheist tinge. In “I Go Alone,” Harris sings “A cold, dark force lies above…I go alone,” asserting that he does not believe he has the help of any benevolent force on his journey. The lyrics ultimately verge on vapidness in their ambiguity. While the belligerent tone indicates a clear desire to fight against something, the lyrics provide little insight into reasons for fighting as well as what should be fought.
Overall, the album has some positive aspects, but it is not revolutionary by any means. The melodies and lyrics are simplistic, and they lack the variety to provoke much discussion. However, Desperate Ground does achieve the modest goal of creating an energetic and fun listening experience. If you’re looking for music to show off to your friends, stay away from this album, but if you’re looking to bump some fun tunes in your car, you could definitely do worse.