Album Review: Thunderground

Headphones in, let’s go.

So the drummer keeps beat, guitars wail and scream, the singer…. blah blah blah…. nah fuck that!

I am out on my bike cycling through a cold English countryside after 6 months of lockdown with another 4 months to go until BOJO and his crowd of out of touch, privileged cronies decide we can get back to some form of normality and maybe actually go to see a live gig again.

My Kiwi friends, you don’t know how lucky you are.

I am pissed off and right now as I head up a fucking stupidly steep hill the noise hitting my skull is making me smile like a demented lunatic.

I need this today, the self-titled album from Thunderground is an adrenaline rush, a glimpse of what is to come once we can travel again and get out.

I throw caution and safety to the wind as I look sideways while heading at breakneck speed down the other side of the hill not wanting the familiarity of verse, chorus, verse, chorus, break, chorus I am fused into the punked-up blues of 11:11 with the beat matching my racing pulse.

Heading into town, the quiet streets and park benches where old people who have been vaccinated gather whilst the youth stay home in front of the PS5. It’s a stark contrast to what is happening in my head.

My mind transports me to a sweaty bar, maybe Ding Dong Lounge? This music in my ears turns into a gig, I am happy, the energy is high and the music is racing. I have never seen Thunderground but in my mind this gig is awesome. It’s what I need right now.

This is why music is so important.

Today Thunderground gave me what I needed and they will do it again and again on each listen. If you like your music to have energy, attitude and be just the right side of noisy and melodic then you need to add Thunderground to your playlist.

As I head back to the refrain of “I need to get home” from the excellently titled Street King Showdown, it reminds me of the last gig I went to which was Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes.

I miss live music but being able to discover bands like Thunderground will keep me going until then.