This week's essential listening comes to us in the form of the debut full-length album from Alabama's prodigious pop stalwarts, Thomas Function, who have found the quick road to salvation through their irresistible and infectious rock 'n roll creations. If you'd been intrigued by their odd name before, and if you somehow have managed to keep your hands off their salivating string of 7" singles over the past few years, it's time to sit up and pay attention as the fruit of their efforts is now available in the form of this full-length album to blow your mind wide open. With a uniquely clean sound that seems almost out of place next to their usual cavorts with scuzzy underground acts, it's kind of surprising how well they can pull off a Television-like cleanness, even for the tone-damaged sect that I find myself immersed within.
One of 2007 best underground rock singles was Thomas Function's Dusty Medical release, featuring the a-side "Relentless Machines," and it's not a surprise to see it included here. It's truly a defining moment for the band and it harnesses a special inner power that seems like it can overcome anything that would try and bring you down. You just can't deny those perfectly jangling guitars that gallop along with their charmingly fucked little organ to an almost dizzying climax, and that's what you get with this knockout band every time. And if this albums' importance and acclaim don't hit you within the first few songs, there's no way to resist after "Relentless Machines" mows you over.
All the other tracks effortlessly claim their own personalities, and as those distantly familiar and hair-raising melodies carry you away to pop heaven, it's lead singer/guitarist Josh's unusual and striking vocals that mold Thomas Function down into such a winning machine. As long as they can find a way to keep touring and releasing top notch records, they could easily blow up and rival any of the biggest bands of the current day, even on both sides of the indie/punk spectrum. Don't miss out on Thomas Function in any way, shape, or form, and get your copy of the CD from Alive Records right HERE. If you're like the rest of us, keep an eye out for the vinyl version, rumored to be available in another week or so.
check out Thomas Function perfoming "Conspriracy of Praise"live on BARF in 2006, courtesy of marqueemoon11, right here...
