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Reviews of Thinmen and "Nothing Like Our Picture"
The Ink19 review of "Nothing Like Our Picture"
October 2003
The comparison of Thinmen to Peter Gabriel is pronounced but obvious, thanks to vocalist Will Jacobsen's aping of the singer, to say nothing of their similar dabbling in world beat. Fortunately at this stage this is more pleasing than annoying, but if and when Thinmen make another album, I hope they've managed to find their own voices more distinctly. They make the Gabriel connection explicit by covering his hit "Shock the Monkey;" presumably not because the first words in it are "Cover me."
Indeed, as their website would have it, "Thinmen's CD Nothing Like Our Picture blends Peter Gabriel, David Bowie & world beat rhythms with hand percussion, Billy Joel, The Fixx, new wave, keyboards..." Well, I decided, this I have to hear. If they pull it off, they're kings, if not; this could be a very bad thing. The trio -- Jacobsen, David Alstead, keyboards & vocals and Doug Christianson, drums, percussion & programming -- are indeed making music which fits that description. I mean about blending Peter Gabriel, The Fixx and all that, not about being a very bad thing.
"Shock the Monkey" creates a mood of its own without departing too far from the original. But the second cover, "Stand or Fall," does for The Fixx essentially what Devo's version of "Satisfaction" did for the Rolling Stones—which is to say, nothing, if you like the original (or The Fixx's own 1987 "live" rerecording), which I do. But it's long been a maxim of mine that if you're going to cover a song, cover a song -- and you have a moral obligation to piss off fans of the original. In which case, well done.
As for Thinmen themselves and their gifts, actually I'd say they're rather a talented thing. Pastel-colored songs fill this disc and depending on how you feel about that, you can say charming or you can say split. Me I say charming--especially "Vanilla" and "Pray"--if more successful instrumentally than lyrically. The lyrics are the kind which sound a lot better than they read.
But perhaps for once I should give a band the last word:
"Everyone's a critic, shut 'em up!" --Thinmen, "Diggin' In."
Ben Varkentine, www.ink19.com (Thinmen says: Finally, someone quotes our music, even if it was in a review... !)
The Original Sin review of "Nothing Like Our Picture"
April 2003
Whenever there comes a day you don't know what to do (never happens here!) just take a pen and list and write down all the musicgroups you know, you laugh as it's impossible and at one hand that's pretty great as the more music the better but on the other you are feeling a bit dispressed as you realise that there are small bands like Thinmen who are a bit ignored due to the overflow. You see, Thinmen are the kind of band who do nothing about their image, they are just the guys they are but all the energy is put into the quality of the music! On this album Thinmen play 11 songs (two of them are covers and finally a band around who do cover The Fixx!) and the variation in styles is high (telling you that they have been both compared to Electronic and Peter Gabriel says enough). That Peter Gabrielthing is perhaps a bit unfair as they covered "Shock the monkey" as well and from the first notes I thought this American band sounded a bit like Peter which isn't any criticism or so....he's one of my heroes so.... "Nothing like our picture" is a very nice album (and even that isn't enough to justify it!) from a band I like a lot...
Didier Becu, The Original Sin (Thinmen says: The Original Sin is a fanzine website from Belguim. Welcome to our new friends and fans in Europe!)
Splendid E-zine review of "Nothing Like Our Picture"
March 2003
The funked-out cover of "Shock the Monkey" on Nothing Like Our Picture is your first clue that the members of Thinmen like their Peter Gabriel, but it's not the only one. Centered around programming, keyboard and vocals, the music has a mature, at times World-ish feeling. The smooth vibe is helped along by vocalist Will Jacobsen's polished, though not overly resonant, singing. Despite their electronic base, Thinmen sound pretty organic thanks to a variety of percussive instruments. The songs are well-written, but several are marred by the factory-preset synthesized sounds. Sometimes these are nicely tweaked-out and layered, as on the energetic "Pray" -- but many of the tones, particularly those that replicate stringed instruments, are dinky and take away from the arrangements.
Thinmen's jazzy synth-pop is appealing enough, but would be better served if the keyboardist invested in a decent instrument and studied up on his sonic architecture. Until that happens, it'll be hard for the band to escape the cheese factor.
Sarah Zachrich, Splendidezine.com (Thinmen says: Behold, the power of cheese.)
Ear Candy Mag review of "Nothing Like Our Picture"
March 2003
Thinmen are a rock band that delivers well-crafted and well-thought songs with odd, math-rock time signatures and generally speaking, an incredible sense of range and talent. Musically, they're hard to pigeonhole, and I think thats one of the reasons I ended up enjoying this disc so much. I might call them a light rock band, but they dabble in everything from jazz to world beat, and occasionally they like to kick back with some mysterious grooves and infectious timings that make you really appreciate the incredible sense of musical diversity this group has to offer. The first track, Free Yourself, is by far the best tune on this disc. Its a well-structured song with some great dynamics; the guitars sound ethereal and play on your expectations, but its got a traditional rhythm and a catchy execution of verse and chorus that really brings you into the song. Its a damn catchy tune, and it really raised the bar way above my expectations. By this point, the first solid comparison I could make for this band was a Security-era Peter Gabriel. Much to my surprise, they confirmed my suspicions by the time track three rolled around, performing a great rendition of said artists famous song, Shock the Monkey, from the aforementioned 1982 album. They don't perform a carbon-copy cover of the song, however. Instead, they rework it into an upbeat, fusion based medley that both compliments the original and takes it to wider range of understanding. The vocals are great on this disc, and though these guys look like real tools from their insert photo, the lyrics are sensible, honest, and to-the-point. The musicianship is top notch, ranging from dissonant sounds to pop-sensitive anthems. These guys cover a lot of bases on this disc, they're mature and experienced players who know what to play and when to play it, and all fans of this type of music should pick this up immediately. Great job, guys.
Jon Gingrich, Ear Candy Mag - the eclectic, internet-only, music magazine (Thinmen collectively blushes. Thank you Ear Candy!)
Chris Mitra review of "Nothing Like Our Picture"
December 13, 2002
First, let me say that I've heard most of these on your MP3 site through my headphones at work, but I could not be prepared for the fidelity, quality, dynamics, and intricacy of the recording that is to be experienced from the CD directly. It also sounds like a bunch of tracks were either re-recorded or re-mixed. As a result, it was almost like I was listening to them all for the first time again. Good deal! A few thoughts about some of the songs:
*Free Yourself -- The keyboard intro to this is *fantastic*. It was a great choice to open with this song -- the intro just grabs you and sucks you in.
*Stand or Fall -- AMAZING cover. I like it better than the original. It has so much energy, and there is so much cool layered stuff going on behind the vocals.
*Breathe -- Love the little muted guitar-type thing that comes in on the second verse. Cool groovy bass line.
*Colorblind -- *Extremely cool* percussion on this one, especially at the end. It gives the song a very organic feel. Very interesting chord progression here, too.
*Diggin In -- This has a bunch of neat little melodic hooks to it. I was also thinking while listening to this song that it would be interesting to see how this sounds with an acoustic guitar in it.
*Vanilla -- I think this was the first original song I had heard from you guys back in GT which made me realize, "wow, these guys are GOOD!" I still haven't decided if I like the GT or Thinmen recorded version of this song better. Part of me misses the loud electric guitar in the chorus (?) ("Is it sexy to me," etc.) -- but I think I like most of the rest of the new recording better. Too bad I don't have the old recording for posterity and to compare. :) I love the vocals in the bridge (?) ("there's only you...", etc.)-- really powerful. Oh, and I like the "Nothing Like My Picture" reference. :)
*Shock The Monkey -- I was really surprised by this one. Whereas Stand or Fall seemed to be kicked up a notch, this one seemed to mellow out, almost a cross between Shock the Monkey and... Shaking the Tree? :) Very cool and different.
You guys have a unique way of writing catchy songs which I could imagine hearing on the radio, but which are also evocative of the more epic endeavors of the likes of Genesis, Peter Gabriel, etc. I hear things in your songwriting which I long to achieve. Lyrically the songs are very meaningful. Overall I love the CD. There is a lot of emotion in everything, from the keyboards, to the vocals, to the percussion. One of the interesting things about listening to it was how much it made me realize how a good keyboardist can add to a band -- I hear a (real) keyboardist so infrequently in music these days, that Dave's stuff really made me miss it in most of the other stuff I listen to. The vocals were, as usual, also fantastic and powerful. The drums were driving and yet subtle at the same time, while almost having a "melodic" feel to them -- is that possible with drums? :) The programming was also very tasteful and not overdone. Were there any real guitars on the album? It sounded like there might be, but it also sounded like there may have been some keyboard guitar tracks. If so, the faux-guitars sounded pretty seamless!
Anyway, a spectacular job! It has been on heavy rotation in my car all week, and will be staying there. :) Oh, you *must* reveal your recording secrets! Or, at least, the equipment you used. :)
Chris Mitra is a musician and Thinmen fan from California. (Thinmen says: Thanks to Chris for writing so much! He has some great music of his own as well, check him out!)
Doug Van Ornum review of CD Release event for 'Nothing Like Our Picture"
November 9, 2002
"Thinmen" Satiate at Studio 677 (and leave us hungry for more)
For their debut CD release party this band could not have accomplished a more engaging and entertaining evening. A near inferno of candles perched atop an electric piano set an irreverent tone, and illuminated David Alstead as he began the night with several surprisingly poignant piano solos. A tapestry of musical movement, rhythms and sweeps kept the audience entranced and moving in the same directions.
Afterward Doug Christianson, drummer for Thinmen, stepped into what can only be called an "aesthetically challenged drumkit" to deliver a firm and almost primal beat -- that was really a call to arms. Various percussion instruments were informally laying about and audience members were invited to join in the fun. It should have been chaos, of course, but somehow the room quickly found its beat. And as Will Jacobsen joined the circle and added his vocals, the apparent seamlessness of this progressive build-up of energy made it apparent that we were experiencing an event beyond convention.
And they did not disappoint. Later moving to more conventional instrumentation on center stage, Dave provided back-up and some lead vocals while almost single-handedly meeting the challenge of creating a very present "full-band" sound from a simple rack of keyboards.
Will likes to interact personally with his audience as he sings, making as much direct eye contact as possible. Usually the rest of the body follows suit. With Will there is definitely a flair for the dramatic as well as a passion for the music. In fact, sometimes it's almost over the top -- but then a twinkle in his eye or a gesture makes you realize that he's in on the joke.
Doug looks like he's having the most fun, if that's possible. When playing drums and percussion, the emphasis is on "play". Doug manages to be quite dynamic and skilled, a very precise yet thunderous backbone to the music, while obviously not taking any of it at all too seriously. Least of all himself.
Ultimately the music was the evening's showstopper, a complex (and almost bewildering) blend of new orchestrations, modern themes with some 80's-era references and interpretations added here and there for spice. To that mix combine an "Element" of performance art. The CD sounds great but does not really do Thinmen justice by itself. See them live. See them soon.
Doug Van Ornum is a musician and artist in the Twin Cities. (Thinmen says: The review is so complete, it's almost as if we were there! Oh, wait... we were!)
Gods Of Music review of "Breathe" from Thinmen's "Nothing Like Our Picture"
November 2002
Thinmen place this song into the ranks of Electronic, which it fits to a major extent; Synthi-Pop, would be more like it though. Still, no matter which way you class it, it does something to you that a good song should, and that is create an enjoyable atmosphere for listening pleasure.
At the start I did form my own idea that I would be listening to a techno type of electronic; probably all instrumental and average in recording and play. As the music started, I still retained that thought, hearing what sounds like kraftWerk, but beefed up a bit. Then, the lyrics hit and Toto, were not in Kansas any more Vocally and musically you get the impression that you have just stumbled across a lost Peter Gabriel hit song.
Because of its direction and sound one would initially think that it should not fit into the music of today. Im not knocking Peter Gabriel, I still enjoy hearing some of his best hits, but you expect an old style to remain sounding old and out of place. It does come close to being that but the composition is such that it does a great job of keeping itself not sounding warn out or like it should not belong today. It is hard to really believe that the actual style is outdated. This song shows very well that good music does not need a time to live in; it will live and Breath where and when it comes to into being.
I could not find any problems with the mix worth mentioning, but at the same time it does not have that 100% quality. This probably falls back on the mp3 quality. It does have its shine though and accompanies the rest of the music presented on the artist page very well. As usual, I didnt stop at just one song. When you hear something good you naturally want to at least sample the rest which would be a worthwhile endeavor for any who take a liking to this song.
My last comment goes to the lyrics. I didnt pay much attention to the exact words but you dont need to when they fit like the key element of the music. Without them this song would fall flat and be worthless. With them, the energy it releases is fantastic.
Very powerful and grabbing, Breath makes you breath a sigh of relief, that there does exist some really good music out there. Sometimes it takes a while to come across it and when you find a gem like this one, you dont want to let go.
Loren McDonald, Electronica reviewer for GodsOfMusic.com
Mike Vantarola review of "Stand Or Fall" from Thinmen's "Nothing Like Our Picture"
Pre-release review in 2002
A tour de force cover of The Fixx classic track. Thinmen deliver the goods with accomplished vocals and superb musical dexterity, which should make them a college campus staple before long! Anyone who hasn't listened to this track, simply has no idea what they are missing. The vocals are simply incredible and the band sounds as polished as any from a massive studio. Another CD to add to my growing collection...
Mike Ventarola is the passionate creator behind the internet radio station "Hidden Sanctuary", and is a reviewer for StarVox.net. He is also a promoter, and writer for many Gothic and underground E-zines
Buy The CD
Additional Links to other Thinmen pages.
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"Nothing Like Our Picture"
These guys cover a lot of bases on this disc, they're mature and experienced players who know what to play and when to play it, and all fans of this type of music should pick this up immediately. Great job, guys.
Jon Gingrich, Ear Candy Mag
You guys have a unique way of writing catchy songs which I could imagine hearing on the radio, but which are also evocative of the more epic endeavors of the likes of Genesis, Peter Gabriel, etc. I hear things in your songwriting which I long to achieve.
Chris Mitra
Very powerful and grabbing, Breathe (from Nothing Like Our Picture - ed.) makes you breathe a sigh of relief, that there does exist some really good music out there. Sometimes it takes a while to come across it and when you find a gem like this one, you dont want to let go.
Loren MacDonald, GodsOfMusic.com
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