Labels: self released
Review by: Tom Winter
A recently penned blog created by Only Thieves characterises their situation thus: “A struggling band on the cusp of minor success”. A few seconds into the first song silence interjects only to be punctuated by a beer can being heard to open. This initial aesthetic to me echoes a number of great bands of recent years”¦Pavement, Guided by Voices or The Silver Jews. Of course it’s plainly obvious that the skill and craft of those bands was over and above the self-deprecating and wasteful presence that characterised their recorded and touring output, but still, they liked a beer and a checked shirt.
First up “Hammered for the Holidays’ “” twinkling into view with a trebly and clean-cut guitar arpeggio before the sudden interjection of the rhythm section and overdriven chords. There’s something instantly likeable about Only Thieves. Three very nice looking fellows adorn the album artwork with a 2:1 bearded ratio and the music fits this well. “I Got Left Behind’ introduces some rumbling subtlety to the instrumentation – everything’s a little more cohesive and gripping than the EP’s opener. The vocals sit lower in the mix and carry a more hypnotic quality as a result. The lyrics deal with disillusionment, drinking and growing up. Winner. Kind of like if they decided that Paul Giamatti wasn’t right for Sideways but Robert Pollard circa-94 would work.
Highlight for me being the third track “Watertower Scars’ “” it continues on the EP’s trajectory of getting gruffer with a bit more of a Drive By Truckers (when or if they were good) vibe. There’s a pleasant duality within Only Thieves of the road that leads to power-pop and the road that leads to angular and off-kilter dissonance. My heart will always side with the latter possibility, but it will be interesting to see which way Only Thieves go. “Ghosts in Your Room’ is a relatively tactless fourth number, definitely the weakest of the five sadly. But “Does This Bus Stop at 8th Avenue?’ leaves the record on a distinctly optimistic note. Everything a little more fuzzed out, feeling considerably more organic as a result.
All told Only Thieves’ “Greetings from Levy Park, T.L.H’ is a promising and enjoyable listen. The influences stand out and they’re definitely coming from a good place. There’s much to be excited about with the record, but endemic to this is that there’s also much which isn’t there yet. Hardly a bad thing mind.