Music Review: The Thing, ‘The Thing Is’
The NYC-based rockers keep the guitars turned up on their second album.
The Thing’s The Thing Is album artwork.
I miss the days when hearing an air-guitar-worthy rock riff was almost guaranteed every time you turned on the radio. If you needed an energy boost, one simple, catchy riff could snap you out of your apathy. It was like Red Bull that didn’t slowly kill your insides.
With the onslaught of music available these days it can be harder to find these gems in the crowd, but they’re still there. NYC four-piece The Thing have risen to the occasion with their second album, The Thing Is, released in February.
Once the title song kicks off the album, it’s clear how appropriate the name is. It’s their thesis statement of what I was going to hear through the whole record. The song has an anticipation-building intro perfect to open a show with. The line “I’m the only fucking cowboy in this town” is followed by the rest of the band coming out guns blazing. Their sound is a mix of vocal stylings similar to Oasis and the quick rock energy of Jet.
That’s just the first track. The momentum continues on their cover of Sonic Boom’s “You’re the One,” a song about seeing someone in the crowd and wanting to connect with them. It opens with a short catchy riff and smooth vocals, gradually growing toward an unhinged rock-out towards the end that mirrors the sparks flying when the two finally get together.
The Thing. Photo credit: Nicole Miller.
The energy continues on songs like “I Wanna Go to the City,” “No Thing”—which features a conversation happening within the verses between lead singer Zane Acord and the rest of the band that adds a very memorable layer to the song—and the bass-driven “Wanted War.”
The Thing ever so slightly takes their foot off the gas with the track “In a Garden,” which has a bit more of a Rolling Stones classic rock feel to it, but the full band participation in “Midnight” brings the energy back to 11, and they keep the guitars rocking on the closer “What is This.”
It’s altogether an energetic rock album that caters to full album devotees and those who enjoy their music on a song-by-song basis. Also, in an era where bands seem inclined to use so much production that ear fatigue comes quick, it’s very refreshing that the sounds you hear are coming from the four-piece alone. The Thing delivers simple back-to-basics guitar rock that’s ready to be blasted through your stereo.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andy Ellis.
Andy Ellis has been spotlighting indie music for over 10 years and is always looking for that next great band. When he’s not listening to music he’s reading, writing, and listening to podcasts about it. He also hosts the Melodic Noise Insider podcast covering Minnesota’s expansive music scene."
