Review
The Thermals
Personal Life

It’s very rare that an album can be described as “charming.” However, it’s an appropriate way to describe indie-punk outfit The Thermals’ fifth full length album Personal Life. That’s until you get past the music and listen to the story.

From the start, it’s apparent that The Thermals are taking a softer approach than previous works. Themes of love, loss, and relationships are more pronounced and lend themselves to slower rhythms. The band has eased up off the gas to bring us a more mid-tempo, almost melancholy, opener with “I’m Gonna Change Your Life.” Hutch Harris delivers lyrics of infatuation with vocals that sound as desperate as they do determined. Rest assured, it doesn’t take The Thermals long to return to form. Skip to the second track, “I Don’t Believe You,” to hear an upbeat dance number with arguably the catchiest guitar riff on the album.

One of the most appealing aspects of Personal Life is that Kathy Foster’s bass lines are more prominent. Foster’s soothing and clean tone takes the lead throughout the easy-going tracks, “Never Listen to Me” and “Not Like Any Other Feeling.” Before you hit the second half of the album, Harris takes charge again with “Power Lies.” A power-pop anthem that seems to reflect on decisions made based on lies. Not to mention the effects they’ve had over time as suggested in the chorus lyric,

“It takes back what you take in time. Power lies!”

Soon we get to the most straight forward track, “Alone, A Fool.” This somber number lacks an intro, chorus, bridge, and outro. It comes in and fades out with the same bass line and strums of the guitar. There are just two verses and a few resounding pounds on the drums. The Thermals pick things back up with “Your Love is So Strong.” Opening with a familiar medley of “whoa-ey-whoas,” Harris gives his most vigorous vocal performance on Personal Life. Expressing sarcastic lyrics such as,

“Your love is so strong. Like nothing it crumbles to dust.”

We start to reach the conclusion of Personal Life with “A Reflection.” Here is a song that gives off the impression that the relationship is finally coming to an end. However, the protagonist hasn’t let go as proclaimed in the album's final line,

“Now when I hold, I hold onto you.”

Personal Life may have been a change of pace for The Thermals, but it wasn’t a bad one. These ten tracks tell a crushing love story to charming pop melodies, and they deserve the same attention as their previous efforts.