The least we can say is that the covid period was conducive to the English of 'Thunder' because after ' All the Right Noises' in 2021 followed by 'Bonus Songs' at the end of 2021, here is not an album, but two albums in one, with a total of 16 compositions which deal with the evolution of our society towards this need for immediate pleasure, dopamine being this hormone allowing to provide this addiction and social networks being a indicative of this harmful addiction.
Musically, the English offer us a wide range of different styles with melodic lines that immediately catch the eye, starting with energetic atmospheres with good incisive guitar riffs: as evidenced, at the start, 'The Western Sky ' (see video above) and we find this energy in compositions like 'One Day We'll Be Free Again' with its guitars reminiscent of a certain 'Angus Young' or 'The Dead City' and 'All The Way', direct but so effective, or even 'Across The Nation' (see video here) to knock your head off from headbanging. We are also won over by more measured titles with addictive choruses like the rhythmic 'Black', 'Dancing In The Sunshine' (see video here) which takes us back fifty years and could be a clever mix of 'Bruce Springsteen' and 'Stones' or l 'Driving 'I Don't Believe The World' with its beautiful vocal harmonies drawing towards gospel or even 'Disconnected' with its choirs close to the 'Beatles'. We also can't miss the magnificent 'Even If It Takes a Lifetime' in a country/blues atmosphere, an atmosphere found in the energetic 'Last Orders' and 'Big Pink Supermoon' brings, as for him, a jazzy touch to the whole. And when 'Danny Bowes' softens the subject and raises the emotional slider, we are entitled to sublime ballads with the acoustic 'Unraveling' and 'Just a Grifter' and its accordion accompaniment reinforcing the melancholic side or even 'Is Anybody Out There?' who plays in the court of a certain 'Elton John'. Finally, 'No Smoke Without Fire' offers us a last memorable melody and concludes this magnificent album in a very beautiful way.
In summary, this new album from the English of 'Thunder' offers us a varied panel of different styles and we travel a kind of journey through 50 years of songs that could all have been the subject of a hit and, even if 'Dopamine' develops a theme, each composition can be taken separately and you will see that you will always find in this opus a title which will give you immense pleasure according to the mood of the moment... | |
