The new looseness that runs through the grooves, the variety the additional voices bring, the very strong songs, and Eno' perfect production all add up as the album plays, and as a result, Thr!!!ler ranks as the band's best work to date. That also makes it one of the best modern dance punk records to date, right up there with LCD Soundsystem's best.
Bottom line, this is a fun, solid output from !!!; a highly enjoyable trip with full cohesion, no true blunders, and at least three standouts on an album with only nine tracks.
The album art of the dance-punk act's LP Thr!!!er portays the album perfectly, a record that belongs in some chilled out, nonchalant basementThe album art of the dance-punk act's LP Thr!!!er portays the album perfectly, a record that belongs in some chilled out, nonchalant basement party. It sounds more fresh, more crisp, and more danceable than the band's previous works. Influences from Depeche Mode, LCD Soundsystem and Foals are portrayed in this record. The tracks are undeniably catchy, and is enjoyable front to back. The guys really sound like they've done something new.…Expand
This was a very enjoyable album. It is the result of the creative capabilities of a dance punk group (very similar to LCD Soundsystem) and hasThis was a very enjoyable album. It is the result of the creative capabilities of a dance punk group (very similar to LCD Soundsystem) and has catchy tracks from start to finish. The highlights are: "Even When The Water's Cold", "One Boy/One Girl", "Slyd", and "Station (Meet Me At The)".…Collapse
have always been hit-and-miss, but when they're in fine form, they're one of the most danceable rock bands out there today. Much of Thr!!!er have always been hit-and-miss, but when they're in fine form, they're one of the most danceable rock bands out there today. Much of Thr!!!er shows the best side of while adding a more focused approach to their work that really pays off. The album flows really well from one track to the next while constantly mixing it up enough to keep things sounding fresh. The rhythm section is constantly on point as usual, which brings us some supremely danceable rock. In the past, this solid foundation has led to some droning and overindulgent jams, and while there are several points where they jam out, they are able to keep the jams meaningful and quit while they are ahead, so to speak. One of the big strengths of the album is that no one element is allowed to dominate the music or to repeat too often. In the past, has shown a poor ability to edit down their excesses, but they do a fantastic job throughout this album. I also appreciated the funkier tone that they lean heavier on with this album. They've always lightly flirted with funk elements, but here they adopt them to great effect that makes the album their most visceral and impactful yet.
There is still some inconsistency that prevents the album from being an unqualified dance punk classic. In most songs, there is a synth piece, a poorly delivered vocal bit, or some embarassing lyrics that I didn't quite like, but luckily they don't stick around for too long and just serve as minor blemishes on some otherwise fantastic work. Also, I found "Get That Rhythm Right" to be a pretty mediocre song that wouldn't have stood out in !!!'s back catalog, but on their best album to date, it sticks out pretty sorely.
On the whole, this just beats out Myth Takes as their best album to date. While it isn't a true dance punk classic, it gave me a lot of hope that they still have that future classic in them.…Expand
