What makes the latest album from these Californian dance rockers their best yet is the fact it's not annoying. That's not to say previous releases, like the politically charged Louden Up Now and follow-up Myth Takes, weren't good. It's just that compared to Thr!!!er, they had gimmicky and ineffectual moments that were throwaway rather than being the throbbing heart of the dance floor.
But Thr!!!er is an effortless, fun, rump-shaking release from start to finish. It's also more varied than before and far more dance-floor dreamland than dance-punk, which is the label they've been branded with since forming in the late 90s. On Get That Rhythm Right they do just that, with a deliciously dark, head-nodding groove and singer Nic Offer's tough guy vocal impressions are a hoot as he frets about "my existential crisis". One Girl/One Boy is one of those songs that boggles around in your head because it's so catchy, in an 80s new romantic way, but with an added bass fuzz and kinkiness to it, and Slyd is jam packed with oscillating oonst, double-dutch chants, and a probing thrum that recalls 80s New York hip-hop-dance-punks ESG.
So if you're missing not getting your LCD Soundsystem fix, or a fan of Hot Chip's In Our Heads from last year, then Thr!!!er is something you'll be bopping and boogieing to for years to come.
Stars: 4.5/5
Verdict: Their best groove check yet
- TimeOut
