Thulium - "Self-titled"
Independent release


I have to admit - I really didn’t like this CD when I first listened to it. But... it has seriously grown on me. I carried it around in my Discman for two days straight, and subjected all of my friends to it. And you know what? It’s a great CD. Thulium, whom I had never heard of before getting this disc for review, is an amazing, yet little-known band.

This CD covers so much ground. There are a myriad of influences to be heard here. On “Marci,” we get an acoustic pop gem that is far catchier than the typical fodder heard on the radio. “Lonely” goes from a very quiet guitar intro to a ska-influenced zydeco thing. “Different From the Last One” is perhaps the most beautiful love song I’ve ever heard in my life, with the rain and storm effects in the background and its chorus of “When I look into your eyes/I see rain/I feel recognized.” I was almost teary-eyed by the end of it. There is also a rather pretty cover of Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl.”

The vocals are a bit flat at times, but the emotion behind them more than makes up for them, as does the guitar work, which can go from quiet to roaring-fuzz in a split second.

To best sum up Thulium’s sound, I’d have to compare them to the Goo Goo Dolls, but the Goo Goo Dolls if they had a but more punk in the attitude department. This group is very accomplished, and I look forward to the night I see them live. This is an incredible CD, and well worth trying to get your hands on a copy.