Aural Fixations

THE THORNS
The Thorns
(Aware/Columbia)
And now, let's utter that word that makes critics shudder—hell, it doesn't exactly bring a shiver of happiness to listeners, either: supergroup. The idea of musicians with strong followings and artistic legacies under their own names commingled for a new project is an old one, of course, and seemingly a sure sign of success; music companies often drool over the possibilities. The record for such things is spotty, however; for every Crosby, Stills & Nash or Texas Tornados there's a Blind Faith, or, worse, a Coverdale Page. (And let's face it, even CSN pretty much ran out of gas after a couple of albums.) Too often these kind of groupings seem more like gimmicks than actual collaborations, with ego battles, incompatible musical ideas and the crippling weight of audience and business expectations breaking the backs of the projects before they've barely gotten off the ground.

With that in mind, we have the Thorns, one of the first so-called supergroups of the 2000s. Then again, maybe "supergroup" is a bit of misnomer. All three of these singer/songwriters have had some commercial success. Rootsy rocker Pete Droge scored a minor hit with his first single, the infectious "If You Don't Love Me (I'll Kill Myself)," from his underrated debut Necktie Second. Matthew Sweet gained a high degree of critical respect and a solid fanbase due to power pop confections like Girlfriend and "Sick of Myself." After a decade of slogging through the trenches, Southern popster Shawn Mullins enjoyed a top ten hit a few years back with "Lullaby." But none of them are exactly superstars, which means the pressure isn't nearly as intense for the trio's self-titled debut to be a smash. Besides, this isn't some corporation-arranged summit; the three men just happened to meet and discover that they sing well together. The blend of these guys' various musics—all pretty much based on catchy melodies and straightforward songwriting—has the potential for greatness.

As is the case of most supergroups, though, the actual results of this amalgamation are mixed. One could argue that this isn't exactly a meeting of equals; Mullins may be the most commercially successful of the trio, but artistically he's not even in the same league as the other two. And as long as we're being honest, Sweet's past work towers over that of Droge and Mullins both; indeed, he's coming off In Reverse, probably his crowning achievement. Plus all three musicians are used to calling the shots to the point where they rarely co-write and usually play the lion's share of instruments on their own releases; this isn't a combination immediately conducive to a smooth working environment. As a result of the tensions inherent in this particular conclave, the music performs a delicate balancing act, as artists with distinctive talents and strong egos attempt to collaborate without stepping on each other's toes.

"Runaway Feeling," the opening track, is the perfect crystallization of the problem. Primarily sung (and presumably written, though most of the tracks are listed as collaborations) by Droge, it sports a simple melody, a rolling, midtempo cadence and lyrics that never get more complicated than "It's a runaway feelin'/Once you make up your mind." It also boasts lush, pretty harmonies; Mullins and Droge sound so similar it makes for instantly appealing layers, while Sweet's unique style floats poignantly over the top. Unfortunately, while the song is undeniably pleasant listening, it's not particularly memorable; it sounds tentative, like the trio was still getting to know one another. It's as if the musicians found an easy groove they could all work with and stayed there, hesitant to push the envelope, content to stay with easygoing melodies and the harmonies which were pretty much the group's raison d'etre in the first place. It's not a bad song, mind you, just…uneventful. Any of these three could've written and recorded it with minimal effort, so it's a bit puzzling that it took three of them, plus session musicians and producer Brendan O'Brien, to pull it off. (more)

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