THANK - ‘I Have A Physical Body That Can Be Harmed’ Review: A sophomore effort that lets the underdogs run wild
Touching on woke culture, broken society and corporate greed, THANK explore the whimsical and cyclical nature of modern living in a genuinely exciting punk-rock album.
★★★★★★★★☆☆
Credit: Summer Crane 📸
It’s no secret that punk has taken an interesting turn in recent years. The genre is bustling with artists preaching universally safe or agreeable messages as alternative or edgy. Matty Healy (The 1975), who’s laughably more punk than actual punks, nailed it in a recent interview recently on YouTube.
Then again, the punk as we know it was a born-creation by the very ‘thing’ it fought against; the establishment. Almost all avenues of this genre have been covered, which begs the question what is punk in 2024? Even SOFT PLAY dropped their previous name (SLAVES) to avoid backlash. Very rebellious.
Every so often, however, some bands embody what it means to be different. Loud in every way, you can imagine. Outspoken. Full of spirit. Then you have THANK - who are amused by it all - seemingly confident in their position.
Hailing from Leeds, THANK is a punk-rock band weaving together anxious disco grooves, harsh noise and blistering lyricism. Their sophomore record ‘I Have A Physical Body That Can Be Harmed’ is a response to the world as we know it.
THANK is comprised of Freddy Vinehill-Cliffe (vocals/guitar), Lewis Millward (guitar/synth), Cameron Moitt (bass) and Steve Myles (drums).
Touching on woke culture (Woke Frasier), broken society (Do It Badly) and corporate greed (Smiling Politely), THANK explore the whimsical and cyclical nature of modern living in a genuinely exciting punk-rock album for a long while. The record thrives on a healthy balance of off-kilter electronic beats, jarring guitar hooks and observational lyricism.
There’s a round of applause for the Leeds rock quartet, or perhaps a drink on the house. Every track feels unbelievably focused, much more so than some of their peers - arguably a testament to non-stop in-studio time.
When speaking to the press, Vinehill-Cliffe explained: "Three of us studied in Scarborough, and during that time we played in a few different embryonic versions of THANK. We had barely visited for ten years, and in the meantime, our old campus has shut down, our former practice space has been demolished to make way for luxury flats, and almost everyone we knew has moved away. So we were in this ostensibly familiar place where basically every trace of our existence was gone, it was a weird headspace to be in.”
Album highlight Woke Frasier changes the narrative on woke culture, describing people as infected in disease-like states worldwide. The track aims at everything from fake news (‘Doing your own research, skim-reading the first three results on Google’) to right-wing podcasts, in a hilarious satiric take. The protagonist, observing the unfolding new world, is almost laughing at the chaos, listing even obscure items as woke to highlight a point. What could have easily ended up as a miscalculated and half-arsed dig at today’s politics, actually became something quite brilliant.
The fiery lead single Do It Badly, which has been described as ‘the single of the year’ by Louder Than War, is instead laden with chaotic noise. This is classic punk rock at its best, a cathartic and empowering release of energy. The same rings true for Dead Dog In A Ditch or Down With The Sickness, both could easily live on an IDLES album.
Elsewhere, The Spores pushes THANK’s sound into an expansive new world. Clocking in at over 7 minutes long, it’s the longest piece on the album and is inevitably going to cause a ruckus at their upcoming shows.
The sheer concoction of sounds integrated into this record is mind-boggling,. but never feels overpowering. Coming in at just over 30 minutes of runtime, on every listen, it’s a surprise how quickly it passes which is a clear success of the diverse tricks employed across every track.
I Have A Physical Body That Can Be Harmed is a wake-up call for the world and a warning that actions have consequences (clever title). There hasn’t been an upcoming punk band this exciting in a long time, and THANK’s sophomore effort nails what it means to be different, combining humour with harsh-truths. For now they may be the underdogs, but this record sets them up to run wild.
Now, it’s your turn. Give it a spin, and tell us what you think on Insta or X.
Rating: 8/10
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