Delusions of Grandeur, the debut LP from Bimm graduates Thumper, has been around six years in the making – three years or so writing, another three recording, with the small matter of a pandemic thrown in. Perhaps now is the right time for Thumper to make their statement of intent, with the country’s export of guitar bands at an all-time high.
The touchpoints here are American garage rock bands; Weezer, Pavement, Pixies, and The Dandy Warhols are cited as influences, while the second track Ad Nauseam evokes the gravel-whine vocals of Billy Corgan at his most neo-punk-nasal.
While the riffs are punchy, there’s a serious timekeeping issue. The first three songs alone span over 19 minutes for no discernible reason. The Loser, though slightly overcooked in the production, benefits from making its point in 3½ minutes, while Strychnine, a clipped acoustic guitar-driven tune, makes great use of dynamics by holding back on the grand instrumental reveal that is hinted towards but never succumbs.
Elsewhere, Topher Grace (another seven-minute plus track) sees lead vocalist Leahy Furlong try on his best Mark E Smith – “my ego is the best boy in the room – woo-hoo!” – in an effortlessly charming turn. It’s the album’s highlight, lyrics-wise, with Furlong digging deep into adolescent worries; practicing chat-up lines in the mirror, wanting “to take and be taken care of”, sweating through borrowed clothes at a party that he knows, if he left, would simply continue without him. He positions himself through the lens of cinema, framing the shot with his fingers – “I saw it in a movie once” – but the bravado and confidence are set dressing, and the “fictitious real” is revealed to be nothing but masculine stereotypes tried on like shirts before a night on the town.
The Overbite Suite – the record’s final three tracks which comprise about 20 minutes of the runtime – was recorded and intended to be performed as one piece. The first (Overbite) lands somewhere between Car Seat Headrest and mid-2000s emo – again, long and overcooked, though it will no doubt work better in a live setting. Ghost, with its 3½ minute intro, could have been paired back to a decent instrumental number, but actually, it takes half its runtime to get going. Down In Heaven, the album’s closer and the longest track on the record, better earns its runtime, with Biffy Clyro fans surely finding something to connect to.
With six years of material to work with, it’s no wonder this debut record is overstuffed with ideas. Nonetheless, Thumper have carved out a corner of Ireland’s burgeoning guitar rock scene by maintaining a strong sense of self. A good start.
