THICK – ‘5 Years Behind’

By Andy Joice

It’s a cliché, but some places produce a distinctive sound that becomes so recognisable, it’s hard not to automatically associate them. Take the ‘Madchester’ scene of the early 90s, and bands like Stone Roses and Happy Mondays. While that scene might’ve been short-lived, some cities seem to be a veritable petri dish of all things that form consistently excellent bands – the sound may change slightly, but the roots are always the same. New York is one of those cities, and Brooklyn three piece THICK are one of those bands.

Debut album ‘5 Years Behind’ is an exploration of all the injustices and dissatisfactions that populate THICK’s lives on a near daily basis; ranging from the hypocrisy of those in power, to male entitlement. And while their previous EPs packed punches of frantic intensity, the development of melodies and harmonies in this release is both encouraging, and reflective of the up-and-down nature of life itself.

Opening with the title track, ‘5 Years Behind’ twinkles from the outset, with jangling guitars leading into vocally anarchic verses, before settling down into a harmonious chorus. The switch between the frenetic verses and gentler hooks mirror the moment of peace and clarity when discovering life can be lived at your own pace, perfectly reflecting the chorus line of “I wouldn’t feel so overwhelmed / if I didn’t let time take control of me”.

‘Sleeping Through The Weekend’ focuses on the oversaturation of bullshit on social media. Lines like “I don’t care about your new job” and “I don’t want to hear about your new friends” are an honest approach to something everyone feels – sharing all aspects of your life is both unnecessary, unwarranted, and has the ability to ruin actual connection with people by being able to learn intimate details of someone’s life without having to have a conversation with them.

There are political and social observations scattered throughout the record, with the most noticeable being ‘Mansplain’, a punchy indictment of the patronising tones from men and their poorly informed opinions (featuring spoken examples as a precursor, including such ludicrous statements as “I wouldn’t really recommend a Fender to a woman, but you’re kinda tall so” and “she’s a really good drummer for a girl”), as well as ‘Fake News’, a seethingly angry, uptempo mess of screeching guitars, screamed vocals, and drums that sound like they’re moments away from rupturing.

Throughout the record, the vocal ranges are unbelievable tight, matching the intensity of each track. While ‘Mansplain’ and ‘WHUB’ are spat out with a ferocious venom, they’re still able to pull off delicate three-part harmonies on the slower, more melodic songs. ‘Won’t Back Down’ and ‘Sleeping Through The Weekend’ are prime examples, seeing all three members pitch in with cleaner vocals, providing a depth to the choruses that add a humanity and sensitivity to tender subjects.

Frankly, that could describe anything THICK do. While they might be aggressively poisonous towards themes they fight against, they’re equally passionate and loving. Their strength in standing up for what they believe in – screaming with appropriate actions and words in the face of oppressors, yet standing shoulder to shoulder with those they support as a band and as friends – is what makes them special, and that resonates throughout ‘5 Years Behind’. They might think they’re five years behind, but with this record, they’re truly ahead of the curve.

ANDY JOICE

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