Thunder fans haven’t had to wait long between drinks as hot on the heels of 2021 highly-acclaimed release ‘All the Right Noises’, the band have followed up with their first ever studio double album ‘Dopamine’, released through BMG.
And fear not – quality has not been diminished to make way for quantity as once again chief song writer Luke Morley has pulled out all the stops to deliver sixteen tracks of unequalled beauty, with a fine blend of out and out rockers like lead single ‘Western Sky’, ‘Black’ ‘All the Way’ and ‘Disconnected’, as well as the always-welcomed Thunder ballads which on Dopamine come in the form of ‘Unraveling’, the stunning ‘Just a Grifter’ and the piano-led ‘Is Anybody Out There?’ ‘Pink Supermoon’ almost has the feel of a track lifted from 2019 release ‘Please Remain Seated’ with its smoky basement bar piano opening. The two other single releases, ‘Dancing in the Sunshine’ and ‘Across the Nation’ are both going to be crowd pleasers when played live and I can see a sea of heads bouncing in venues ‘across the nation’ already. But don’t be led to believe Thunder have stayed in their comfort zone as there are heavier elements in places that work so well and seem to strengthen the bands sound at times – its an album to play loud, that’s for sure (aren’t they all?).
As expected the album order is superbly put together, peaking & troughing just at the right time as Morley plays with our emotions as always with trademark punchy guitar riffs suddenly replaced with Bowes exquisite vocals. Sometimes albums can be guilty of fading away as they approach the end but ‘Dopamine’ stays strong from start to finish, ensuring we are eager to reach for the play button once again. The closer ‘No Smoke Without Fire’ teases us into thinking we will be getting a gentle let off with a catchy bassline from Chris Childs before we are slapped around the face with Ben Mathews & Morley let fly with powerful guitars. Harry James puts in as good as a drum performance as I’ve ever heard, showing that Thunder as a collective are still very much on top of their game, with no signs of easing off anytime soon.
Highlight of the album (believe me there is more than one) is the wonderful ‘Last Orders’ with its acoustic guitar intro and guest vocalist Morley singing the first verse before Bowes and the band let fly with a catchy track that I sure will make it into the live set.
Once again Thunder have delivered and delivered in stunning fashion. They are continually pushing themselves and Thunder fans can be safe in the knowledge that they guys aren’t going anywhere soon nor letting up on the quality of music they are producing… their only concern should be how the hell will they fit some of these into an already hit-laden set list! Good luck guys!
9.5/10