“We Disappear” by The Thermals
For over a decade, The Thermals have consistently turned out their unique brand of lo-fi indie punk rock to the Portland scene and beyond. Featuring Hutch Harris (vocals, guitar) along with Kathy Foster (vocals, bass) and Westin Glass (drums), the trio’s seventh full-length album was recorded with help from former Death Cab for Cutie member Chris Walla at Kung Fu Bakery in Portland, and Seattle’s The Hall of Justice.
We Disappear is the fist-pumping, mind-expanding follow up to 2013’s Desperate Ground. Case in point: the commanding lead single, “Hey You.”
But that’s just the beginning —“Hey You” isn’t just a catchy, radio-friendly lead single with the rest of the album casted off as filler. The LP begins with some noisy distortion reminiscent of Sonic Youth’s “100%” and you almost think you just dropped the needle on Dirty. Your ears perk, your pulse increases, and adrenaline is flowing from head to toe. According to a statement from Harris, We Disappear is rooted in an obsession with technology, love and death.
From the album’s first song: “Into the code we stay alive/we will be whole we will survive/if we go we will not be missed/in the code we will always exist.”
In between the hard-hitting tracks, We Disappear is filled with thoughtful lyrics and overflows with distorted soundscapes like those you will hear on “The Great Dying” and the album’s last track, “Years In A Day.” The latter serves as the perfect ending as the song slowly fades away—just like we all do. »
– Wendy Worzalla
