The Thermals

Now We Can See begins at the end—with guitarist/vocalist Hutch Harris saying goodbye, cruel world! by taking a leisurely stroll into the ocean on “When I Died.” Bummer way to kick off such a fun record. But The Thermals have always sounded like they’re having a blast while dealing with heady topics. On 2006’s The Body, the Blood, the Machine album, they lambasted Bush and Bible-thumping neo-cons. Now the Portland trio reflects on life after leaving this big rock … and, of course, it ain’t always pretty. Harris continues to ably get his point across without bashing you over the head; that’s left to those beefy minor chords and the one-woman rhythm section of bassist/drummer Kathy Foster. Now We Can See is warmer and less fuzzy than The Body. “I Let It Go” and the title track are bubblegum in the purest, sugary, unchewed form. Only “When We Were Alive” catches the barbed nastiness of the band’s previous release. While The Body, the Blood, the Machine was an indictment of where we were a few years ago, Now We Can See finds The Thermals cautiously optimistic. Go figure.