The latest effort from the young, up and coming band known as Thames is The Fear – a four- song exploration in what the members describe as their fear of the “current social order and how that affects the way we interact with one another.” Formed at the end of 2016, this St. Louis, Missouri quartet sounds seasoned and well beyond their age. This second release came out no later than a few months after In Limbo and this EP and its review can be found on the Divide and Conquer Music website. The Fear was engineered and produced at Sawhorse Studios and recorded live in just one day with the vocals added during the second recording session. Thames’ influences include Radiohead, Wilco, Queens of the Stone Age and Coldplay, and on this release the listener will hear these powerhouse bands bleed through brilliantly. The opening number, “The Fear of Losing the Ones You Love” sounds like the title may suggest: melancholy, bittersweet and sadly beautiful. It’s the kind of number that makes one reflect on life and where it has led them to thus far. The English band Elbow comes to mind as well after listening a few more times. “Alta Delta” is a few minutes longer compared to the rest of the album but no less dynamic and confident. It does indeed have a Queens of the Stone Age slant, complete with a catchy guitar lick, a little soul and some darkness – like a back alley drug deal gone bad. The vocals are professional and the change in tempo with a jazzy/funk beat interlude keeps this songs moving wonderfully. A crazy good bass solo from Connor Fiehler changes things up and the song morphs into this rock opera explosion that’s fantastic! “Living Things” has more of a Ben Harper and Radiohead sound, filled with great harmonies, gorgeous piano and a slow, steady acoustic rock beat. “Ecology” continues on with a more gentle flow like the last tune but with a faster beat. The piano part makes me picture falling snow and the influence heard here is reminiscent of earlier Coldplay. There is a sense of urgency in this song, suggesting we’re running out of time – from what, I don’t know, but the feeling the song invokes makes me believe that all will be well in the end. The Fear is an impressive second effort from this mid-western band. It seems like they’ve been doing this music thing for years. So perhaps they will grace our ears for years to come.
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