Album Recommendation – Thornley “Tiny Pictures”

One day back in 1997 I was driving along listening to the radio. Suddenly a song came on that shocked and amazed me. The song had big, blasting power and lots of stuff that guitar people love. It even had a hoedown section. I was thoroughly impressed and was preparing myself for the torture that would come as I tried to find out the song and band name. To my surprise, the DJ actually came on after the song ended and said that it was “The Oaf” by “Big Wreck”. It just so happened that I was on my way to Circuit City. When I got there, I believe it was fate that the music video for “The Oaf” was playing on the televisions. I decided to “go blind” on an album purchase and get “In Loving Memory Of…”. Going blind on an album is often dangerous and can leave you with a really bad album on your hands that only has one song that you like or liked at one point. In the modern era of itunes and such it is a near impossibility to go blind on an album.

I bought the album and took it home for a listen. I got all situated for a good listening experience hoping to not be let down. The first song on the album was “The Oaf” so of course that was enjoyable. Then I went through the rest of the album and when it finished and I sat up having never felt so satisfied with a first listen of an album in my entire life. The main brain behind the operation of Big Wreck was a fellow named Ian Thornley. Big Wreck had another album come out four years after the first and then they split up.

Three years after the last Big Wreck album a friend told me that he heard something about Ian Thornley starting another band. I had to check it out and sure enough Thornley had an album out. This album was a good one but it felt very contrived and lacking in certain aspects to me. The layers and layers of guitars didn’t seem to be there and nothing really amazed me. Don’t get me wrong I liked it, but I felt like much of the songwriting and mixing was geared towards trying to fit in with a style that wasn’t natural for Ian Thornley.

Five years after that album (that’s right 5, cinco, V, FIVE) Mr. Thornley has finally got another album out. I listened to the first single on the website a few weeks ago and was a little frightened. I knew that Nick Raskulinecz was the Producer of the album and he had done a great job for the Foo Fighters, but the single I heard on the website sounded, to me, like it had been mixed by Kelly Clarkson. This made me frightened as February 10th approached.

I have major issues with Thornley’s stupid record company too. They are called 604 records and are based in Canada. First off, they have an amazing guitarist and songwriter and they make people wait 5 years between albums. Word on the street is that the songs have been written and ready to get out for 2 or 3 years at least. Next they have only released this new album in Canada. You can’t even get it on itunes in the US. Thirdly, I hate the band Nickelback and the company is owned by the singer. Fourth, I pre-ordered the album from the 604 website and I am pretty sure I was one of, if not, the first to order it. But I have not received it even though they said they were going to ship it a few days before it came out. Fifth, how hard can it be to print an album in vinyl? I love vinyl records and would really love a copy of this album in vinyl. The cover was done by famous Pink Floyd album designer Storm Thorgerson and who wouldn’t want a record sized piece of his artwork?

Since the album came out yesterday and I didn’t have it yet, I resorted to less than respectable means of getting it. Since I paid for it and am waiting for it, I figure I am covered. I listened to it and was not too let down and must state that I do like it. The first single, that I listened to on the website, has a different and better version on the album that sounds more Bachman Turner Overdrive than Kelly Clarkson. The rest of the songs are, for the most part very well written and mixed. Ian Thornley’s guitar mastery is fully on display in the album. It is filled with tons of little things that make guitar fans giddy. Many different fun instruments can be found throughout the album, such as mandolin, banjo, steel guitar and I think I even heard a banjolin in there too. Some low points of the album include the first track, which has some really bad lyrics and a ridiculous children’s choir and the ninth track which is nothing special. There are some moments that feel a little Nickelbackish too, which adds to why I don’t give it a perfect ten, but Ian Thornley could make Michael Bolton material more appealing to me. As I continue to listen to it I think it may hold up with some of my favorite albums, but probably not top ten, or maybe even twenty. It is just so rare that an album comes out that I would recommend, so I recommend this one.

Listen to an overcompressed radio preview of it that sounds nowhere near as good as the album

or

Go Buy it and wait forever to get it.