Album Review: We Lifted Ourself by Thinner

Thinner’s latest LP conjures a haunting and gripping narrative that lures the listener in.

Seductive and dangerous chord progressions laced with authentic punk vocals and stunning lyrical imagery lure the listener into Thinner’s eighth album, We Lifted Ourself. Thinner – made up of bandmates Neil Lucey, Danny McGee, and Craig Wilson – offers powerful guitar work. The gutsy, gritty Worcester-based band is a powerhouse of melodies. Their haunting lyricism, delivered by powerful vocals and enthralling riffs, is confident and strong. Recalling the instrumentation of Guided By Voices and the nostalgic tone of the Sex Pistols and The Smashing Pumpkins, Thinner has a unique, old-fashioned rock sound that is punctuated throughout the record.

Sonically, We Lifted Ourself storms in quickly, like you’ve just walked into the middle of an intimate, tight-knit underground gig in 1970s London. The opening track, “Fly Paper Trap,” has an infectious opening riff that lurks throughout the song. The verses spin a story about a frustrated, depressed young woman who tries to find happiness despite feeling immensely out-of-place: “It’s like fly paper trap / Even beating wings can’t bring her back.” The song’s continuous riff enhances the title and the theme: being trapped. The riff sounds charmingly ominous, foreboding, like getting ensnared in a web. This technique of thematic chord progressions and lyrics, and how they play together, is the hallmark of the album. The track is a clever opening that catches the ear right away.

The most intriguing part of Thinner is how eclectic they are in their lyrics, all while staying true to their rock aura. Their verses move from cheeky and playful, such as in the song, “Are You A Luxury,” to songs like “Talk All Night.” Their verses take a turn: rock riffs collide with the poignancy in their lyricism. “Talk All Night,” is my personal favorite on the record: it reminds me of an indie rock love song from the early 2000s. It is a wistful track where the narrator tells his lover that things are not as they used to be, and will never be, no matter what they do.

Party Crimes,” the ninth track on the record, is a fast-paced, fun punk rock song that is one of the shorter songs on the album, but still packs a punch. Its classic rock rhythms, quick chord progressions and quirky lyrics make this track stand out.

Another excellent song on the record is “Sundress,” with similar thematic elements to “Fly Paper Trap.” “Sundress” chronicles the narrator looking at his lover, admiring her, watching as she rifles through her closet, sad and unsure of herself as she gets dressed. The narrator lovingly (but tragically) points out that no matter what she wears or how long she looks in the mirror, she will still be unsure of herself: “Digging through your closet looking for something to wear / It’s not there, it’s not there / Waiting for that sun to shine down through your golden hair / It’s not there.” The record clings to this insecure, ethereal young woman – she appears throughout the album, and you can’t help but wonder, who is she?

We Lifted Ourself brilliantly entices the listener with its striking instrumentation, poignant lyricism, and occasional cheekiness. Excellently curated, the lyrics reveal a progression of a hauntingly enigmatic narrative, accented by catchy chord progressions, that keep the listener enthralled throughout the record.