Ronan O'BrienBrace your eardrums for a wall of sound! Dublin noisemakers THUMPER are back with a brand new single, “The Drip”.
THUMPER
THUMPER were a band I had heard of for a while. I noticed their name on a couple of festival lineups and this intrigued me enough to want to see them. And so I did. In 2022 I saw them at a festival in Cork and to say they blew me away is an understatement. Six lads on stage, four with guitars and two on drums. The sound was immense to say the least. And their energy was infectious. I needed to see them again. And again. And again. So I did and have been a big fan since.
Formed in 2019 by frontman Oisín Leahy Furlong, THUMPER are a band whose genre is a bit difficult to pin down. I have seen descriptors like noise-pop, psych rock and post-punk attributed to them, but I like to think of it as pure unadulterated energy. The guitars are distorted with clean riffs. The two drummers playing identical beats make you understand why they chose a name like THUMPER. The lead vocals are being shouted in your face it’s impossible to ignore.
Their debut album, Delusions of Grandeur is firmly housed in my collection. Give it a spin and you’ll understand what makes THUMPER’s sound so appealing. Layers upon layers of sound accompanied with pop-style hooks, it’s no wonder the album was nominated for the Choice Music Prize in 2022. They followed this release with countless appearances at festivals across Europe, and even being the support act for Kasabian on their Irish tour in 2023. If that’s still not enough to convince you, I highly recommend their cover of Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten”.
The Drip
“The Drip” opens with that familiar distorted yet clean tone of guitars. In true THUMPER fashion, it’s loud and catches your attention immediately. But “The Drip” actually feels very different from their earlier stuff. It’s slightly more laid-back vocally, and I think this perfectly encapsulates the themes of burnout and stress. It feels like he’s going to start yelling at any moment, but does not have the energy to do so. It also feels like the lyrics are being fed to the listener very slowly – the lines are short and the flow is at a relaxed pace. Almost like an IV drip, which is referenced really well in the song: “Poke to find a vein, flick the bag“.
A noticeable absence from this song is a chorus. Funnily enough, I don’t think the song needs one. The guitar riffs fill that gap absolutely superbly, that’s the part that sticks with me after a listen, which I suppose is what a chorus is supposed to do. The riffs are almost robotic, but not in a bad way. They’re just incredibly catchy and enjoyable. It leaves me with no other conclusion than the fact that they put opium in the guitar pedals. Because there is no other explanation as to why the tone is that sweet.
Looking Ahead
This single has made me incredibly hyped for their sophomore album. “The Drip” is definitely different to what I’m used to from THUMPER, but it retains their style in a really important way. It appears recording in the remoteness of rural Donegal has helped the group focus on a cleaner sound, without losing their edge. For me, the single is a hint of what’s ahead. But not in a “this is what the album is going to sound like” way. To me, it feels like a catalyst. The pressure is building and the rest of the album is going to tear the roof off. Or so I hope.
A band like THUMPER doesn’t come around quite often and I think we need to appreciate them for their talents. Their live shows are absolutely immense. Their sound is powerful. And their talent speaks for itself. Whatever THUMPER bring out, I’ll be one of the first to listen.
