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Reviews of
Tired Anchor:
"thistle has been playing rock and roll and releasing albums on their own Tiberius Records label since 1994. While Tired Anchor doesn’t sound like a rehashed album from 1994 – because who would want that? – it definitely draws many of the characteristics of that style in a way that brings back everything I loved about alternative. The guitars here are loud, a tad jangly, and powerful; the vocals are catchy and tight, the rhythm section perfectly paced.
The definitive song here is “New Christ Killer,” with its catchy chorus of “wish that better things would have happened here / dot-dot-dot we were young” and multiple guitars. “Repent! Repent!” rocks hard with a post-hardcore bent, only this band sounds like they’ve been doing it their whole life, and the crunchy guitars on “Daughters of Job” have a similar appeal.
In truth, you can hear bits of a host of genres in these songs, from early Texas is the Reason and Promise Ring to Pavement and even hints of hardcore bands like Fugazi. But I keep coming back to bands like Sugar and Engine 88, the bands that defined the mid-90s for me. This band brings back that style with a modern twist. They do it remarkably well, creating a guitar-driven album that’s catchy, and rocking." - Delusions Of Adequacy
"Having played in countless bands over the past (gasp) 25 years, I know better than most how hard it is to keep a buncha bozos pulling in the same direction, let alone making sounds anyone would want to hear, for more than a few years. It's hard enough when a band has achieved some measure of commercial success; when toiling in obscurity, with little reward beyond the occasional positive review on some pissant web site, it's darn near impossible. The release of Tired Anchor, then, is cause for celebration, not only because it's a great record, but also because its arrival marks ten years since Mike Montgomery, Toby Weiss and Rick McCarty embarked on their quest for...well, I dunno what they're questing for, but let's all be glad they're still at it. Having chronicled their DIY output since the beginning (1996's diamond in the rough Friction Shifter), I feel like a proud poppa to hear the trio sounding so sure-footed, still so fresh and filled with passion after a decade of hard knocks. Tired Anchor is anything but, offering a bracing dash of storming, melodic guitar-rock in the style of Superchunk, Dinosaur Jr., Archers of Loaf, Sugar and other such lights of thistle's formative era. The band has never sounded better and if you've not picked up on them yet, here's your chance to get in on the top floor." - Demo Universe
"thistle is DIY-certified indie rock. After creating their own label Tiberius Records, thistle subsequently released several albums and EPs in an effort to solidify their energy into tangible, eyes-wide-open rock. And they score a big goal with Tired Anchor, which is guaranteed to keep breathing fresh air into the scene. Lyrically this could be their best album to date and they back up with a sonic array of musicality not seen for quite some time. I guarantee you`ll love it and you`ll be coming back for more, cuz 'Passion`s a real motherfucker', and thistle is chock full." - Smother
"Independence, Kentucky's Tiberius Records continues their excellent string of releases with thistle's Tired Anchor, an album brimming with concise, insanely catchy guitar-driven songs, great lyrics and energy to spare. A lot of the tracks (especially propulsive opener "New Christ Killer") channel Here's Where the Strings Come In-era Superchunk, while the scratchy-throated "Water and Rations" sounds more like British punk on holiday in guitarland. Melodic and underpinned by subtle but sterling production, Tired Anchor is a document of a veteran band at the top of their game. Fans of Modest Mouse, Sebadoh and Zykos should check this one out. Raise your skinny fists and crack open a can of Bud: Midwest indie lives!" - Sponic
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