The Thing’s new album balances the rock of the past, present and future

Feb 13

The Thing’s sophomore album, The Thing Is, which came out on February 2 sees the New York four piece take influence from ‘60s and ‘70s rock and musical stylings à la early Arctic Monkeys. Even though the influences of The Thing are clear, the group is able to find their own touch, adding a certain panache that those who are well versed in the musical past use to drive music’s future forward.

The LP features 11 songs and over 35 minutes of play time. One of the standout parts of the album is the middle section. Where a lot of projects sag in the middle, an argument could be made that the middle few tunes are the strongest part of this album.

Track five “No Thing,” takes the audience briefly back in time to the sounds of 60s rock and Beatlemania. The vocal effects are reminiscent of listening to slightly static radio, waiting to hear the latest song from your favorite rock band. The guitars on the refrain explode open before toning back down in the verses, jolting the listener awake. After a more stripped back bridge, the outro picks up, releasing the momentum built through the bridge.

“Northrup 8” could easily slot into Favourite Worst Nightmare, and it’s at this point that the sonic direction of the tracks shift from a 60s and 70s sound to a more early 2000s brit-rock vibe. Although this song and “No Thing” share similar vocal effects, the backing instrumentals create different energies and transport the listener to different time periods.

Rounding out the second half of the album, “In A Garden” features an easy-to-mimic guitar riff and a steady sense of time brought by hi-hat cymbals. This song has a certain lightness to it that is juxtaposed by the underlying feeling of doing something wrong. The alt Tumblr girls of the early and mid 2010s would have made this song their personality.

The Thing’s second record rides the wave of 60s and 70s nostalgia that other rock bands have used for inspiration. This group does not completely recycle the same motifs from their predecessors, but simply uses them for inspiration to draw audiences into their craft.