Album Review: Thundermother - Heat Wave

A couple years ago, Thundermother put out a record that put the on my radar as a good, AC/DC style rock band, who just so happened to have a singer with the potential to be great. Fast forward to today, and those ladies are back with a new album that was produced by a described Swedish 'hit maker', and the first single was the catchiest song they had ever released at that point. All the signs are pointing to Thundermother being on the verge of a break-out moment with this record. So as the summer heat is settling in, they are giving us their own heat wave.

The things that were already good about Thundermother haven't changed. Guernica Mancini's voice is still a blues and whiskey soaked dart hitting the bulls-eye every time, and Filippa Nassil's guitars chime with the clear tones of AC/DC's best work. The record sounds flawless.

Between the band's chemistry coming together, the members all contributing ideas, and the change in producers, the impact is felt immediately. Maybe this record is slightly less of a classic rock jolt hitting you upside the head with riffs, but the songwriting has pumped these tracks up to new levels. "Dog From Hell" is a huge sing-along that the band couldn't have pulled off before now. The songs on this record are the band's most immediate, more memorable, and downright best work yet. While they were good before at what they did, they've upped the bar for what is possible. As they were, they had a ceiling. With this record, that is being shattered. This version of classic rock can take them far.

"Back In 76" could be a modern take on "I Love Rock & Roll". It's certainly sticky in all the same ways. That song serves as a good template of what Thundermother is up to on this record, except that they aren't playing covers. It's a mixture of 70s classic rock guitars and 80s hard rock choruses, which come together to make a sound that is more timeless than most of the more obviously retro bands. Thundermother sounds classic, but not old. There's a vibrancy and freshness to this record that pops in a way that we don't get from your Horisonts of the world. Rather than sounding like a record from 1976, this sounds like the evolution of that sound in the modern day. That's far more interesting than another retread.

We heard all of this when "Driving In Style" was released as a single, and it's so satisfying to hear it wasn't a one-off, but a proper reflection of the record. Like that song, this album is driving classic rock with big hooks and fantastic vocals. And coming when it does, it's a perfect summer rock album. This is absolutely the kind of record you can put on when the sun is high, the temperature is higher, and feel good about rocking out to. They've captured the fun elements of classic rock and brought them to life in a set of songs that has a lot of charm.

I'll put it simply; if you like classic rock, go listen to Thundermother. This album nails what modern classic rock can be, and it's a huge step forward for the band. "Heat Wave" is great, and should earn Thundermother a promotion to the next level. Well done, ladies.