Album Review: Thirdface – Do It With A Smile

Nashville, yes I’ll say it again Nashville, “never judge a book by its cover” or “Stereotyping should never happen” springs to mind, so with that in mind let us not go and spoil it by believing Nashville means one thing in music.

As you may have guessed Thirdface come from Tennessee, they are a hardcore punk band and they take no prisoners when it comes to their music and lyrics.  Comprising of vocalist Kathryn Edwards, bassist Maddy Madeira, guitarist David Reichley, and drummer Shibby Poole, they smash out DIY punk with all the venom of a band who know what its like to be at the wrong end of a struggle to survive with dignity, the fight that needs to be fought against a system that provides only misery.

Diving head first into a pool full of buzzsaws is what you get when this album kicks off, songs that come at you thick and fast, ‘Customary’ starts the onslaught with the grace of a hurricane your hurtled along through songs that have no mind to pause for breath at any point, before you know it, you have already heard ‘Local’ ‘Chosen’ ‘Grasping At The Root’ and even ‘Buck’, only then do you look at the track list and realise that 5 songs have passed.

Kathryn gives every inch of her being into every word, with no thought for her own safety I might add, any normal human being would be reaching for the throat lozenges after track 2.  It’s only by aptly named ‘Interlude’ do you get a moment to reflect and take account of what this is all about, although by the time this is over and the last lament of ‘No Relief’ hits your ears, does it then strike you what a ride you have just been on.  Stretching every single string, breaking holes in drum skins, fingers bleeding on the bass fret and vocal chords ablaze, what your left with is a sense that this was all emotionally driven, the need to speak out was so earth shatteringly wanted.

Do It With A Smile is due out on March 5th via Exploding In Sound Records

Go get it, but don’t expect your ears to recover too quickly. 

See the bands Bandcamp for the pre-order