Now We Can See

With an economical use of language, a keen sense of the rhythms of repetition, and a sly, unobtrusive way with the reoccurring images that interest him (the sea, eyes/vision, the earth), the Thermals' Hutch Harris has always been able to ponder life's big questions without being ponderous. It helps that his words are always set against such sublimely sloppy pop riffs. But on Now We Can See, his band's fourth full-length, he takes advantage of a newfound musical maturity, buffing his fuzzy riffs into polished power-pop, which finally casts a much-deserved spotlight on his lyrics.