From the acoustic plucking and falsetto harmonies that open Thunderbirds Are Now!’s third album, Make History, it would seem that the band may have abandoned their familiar dancepunk direction for softer, kinder and gentler textures. But around a minute into “Panthers in Crime,� that ridiculous notion is put to rest as the distortion, disco-heavy drums and Ryan Allen’s high-pitched-yet-commanding voice break through the gossamer facade. In fact, Make History is, if you can believe it, both more danceable and more punk than before. On the dance side, vocoders and synthesizers take center stage on jams like “Sound Issues/Smart Ideas,� while a track like “Open Us Up� unleashes a rock fury to be reckoned with. By taking existing ideas and enhancing them, this Detroit powerhouse has bestowed their most awesome album to date.
~Jeff Terich
Release date: October 3, 2006
Buy Album from CD Universe
