When someone messages me, asking if I’d review their album, it’s touch and go whether I’ll enjoy it. I only review stuff I really like; that’s why I started writing. If I don’t like it, it’s not necessarily bad, so I pass it on to someone who might appreciate it. That said, my first listen to ‘From A To Z’ by The Thingz was a relief. The Long Beach band tick a lot of boxes: melodic garage rock, left-field pop, psychedelia.

My first impression was early B-52s, retaining an edge to their songs to avoid simply being “quirky” for the sake of it. ‘Dressed In Rags’ is really up my street, garage rock that you can dance to, not unlike The Fleshtones. And if you have a song called ‘Crab Monster’, it may as well sound like the B-52s. But opener ‘Art Crime’ shows that their palette is broader than some might expect. If anything, the tune reminds me of Scott Yoder.

‘Miss Baker’s Dream’ isn’t far removed from The Velvet Underground’s more mellow moments; they certainly have a knack with catchy melodies. Then ‘One Way Ticket’ picks up speed before ‘Sick Sense’ brings the fuzz and organ that echoes The Fuzztones. High praise, I’d say.

You want an ode to a lonely Stingray? You got it! You want a grimy, sinister instrumental? ‘Thanosphere’ will provide it, complete with theremin. And where else to end but with ‘Zombie Rats’? A nod to psychobilly, with their own twist on it. Head over to Bandcamp, have a listen. It might be just what you need.

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Author: Martin Chamarette