When we spoke to The Sensationalists in November, the Milwaukee-and-West Bend quartet was saving up to press and self-release its debut full length. The New Year found the band’s goal come to fruition with the release of the 10-song, half-hour album Thick as Thieves, a copy of which was sent our way.
The pop outfit wastes little time grabbing the listener’s attention with the lively title track to start off the album. Front man Jackson Kesy plows through loaded lyrics like “Well pardon me/we were all once thick as thieves” amid a dour-while-bustling musical accompaniment.
“Wait,” the album’s second song—though good—quashes any momentum the rousing opener provided with its slowed tempo and less adventurous instrumentation. The song seems to hinge on Kesy’s vocals and admittedly catchy chorus—a theme repeated in eight of The Sensationalist’s 10 offerings. Fortunately, Kesy’s wordy melodies pack two songs worth of content into most every track and his uniquely high register serves to stabilize some, otherwise, standard songs.
“Hidden Track”—an ode to long distance relationships—manages to tug verticals before hitting (the seemingly-avoided, when possible) three-minute mark by way of a peppy rhythm section coming compliments of bassist Benjamin Green and drummer Scott Worby, Dustin Mayer’s fuzzy lead guitar and, of course, sincere lyrics like “You’ll stay as my hidden track” courtesy of Kesy.
That’s not to say there aren’t imperfections in that recipe. Songs like “An Emergency” and “Man Alive” come and go without a second thought. True, there isn’t a bad song on Thick as Thieves. Rather, you’ll find an abundance of solid-yet-not standout songs populating it, with each one a vocally driven, chorus-heavy effort clocking in under four minutes. But before bowing out, Kesy and crew bring us back to the album’s energetic origin point with co-standout “Shadowsong.” The uncharacteristically dark and guitar-driven ender shows that, when it wants to, The Sensationalists can buck the airy and sentimental trend employed in tracks two through nine. More than anything, though, “Shadowsong” anchors Thick as Thieves, the sturdy debut for a versatile Milwaukee area band capable of playing two roles at once.
The Sensationalists will perform cuts from Thick as Thieves on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee (88.9 FM) at 4 p.m. Thursday. The band will then play a post-Gallery Night show at Ginger Tapas Bar (235 S. Second St.) Friday. Stream songs from and/or purchase a $5 digital download of Thick as Thieves from The Sensationalists’ Bandcamp page.
