The Thorns follow the great legacy

While the urban pollution continues outside this converted church, it is a perfect setting for a show that caresses the dome with beauty of melodies and harmonies! The Thorns, a union of three singer-songwriters that has produced one of the top albums of the year, the self-titled opus, deal in ‘serious’ pop music, no gimmicks here, no giving in to hype or any market-demands but love for songs and American songwriting legacy.

From (camera) left we have Matthew Sweet, Shawn Mullins and Pete Droge, who strum their guitars with power-passion-delicacy, as songs require. Swapping vocals, they harmonise in the best tradition of the masters in the business. Simply standing in front of the stage, backed by a trio of drummer-bassist-keysman, they truly deliver – compositions.

Tunes that don’t obey any rules but fly any way their creative collective souls take them: there are moments of uptempo country, toe-tapping rock, pop as wide as a prairie… The Eagles, as well as the Beach Boys, Simon and Garfunkel, Crosby Stills Nash and Young are recalled in The Thorns canon but it is not leaning on tribute-like but a continuation of a great American tradition.

Tradition of songs that reflect the American vista, its dreams, romances and tragedies… It was also refreshing view of egos being left back home in favour of camaraderie under the pulpit. The great rapport between them onstage is a banter about things that matter to their fans, such as Bush’s Iraqi war; when the members expressed their support of the Dixie Chicks having, what many US macho artists appear to lack, the ‘balls’ to speak their mind – there was a near-ovation!

Tracks from ‘The Thorns’ album fly off the frets – ‘Runaway Feelings’, ‘I Can’t Remember’, ‘Think It Over’, ‘Set The World’ on Fire’ and ‘Among The Living’, as well as some unrecorded songs, such as a Mariachi-type ballad the title of which escaped us due to forgetting our ‘universal translator’ at the office. They even ‘cover’ The Jayhawks’ ‘Blue’.

There are many UK bands that are inspired by Americana, Athlete and The Thrills come to mind, but they do not even come to the binocular-distance of The Thorns. This threesome are like their generation’s The Highwaymen (Johnny Cash, Waylong Jennings, Willie Nelson & Kris Kristofferson) or Traveling Wilburys (Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty & Jeff Lynne), without actually sound like either. The Thorns simply have the same creative potential, talent and skill to make pop music for people who aren’t afraid to rely on something more than instincts.