In a moment of sheer panic ‘On The Brink’ by The Thirst was stopped a few seconds into its debut play. This is because it started so much like a Paul Weller record that it was worth stopping proceedings to ensure this was not the case. Crisis averted, giving the opening track more than ten seconds to prove itself was worthwhile as the song veered off in a different direction.
You can definitely hear a Weller influence on this record but it takes from much more which gives it a more rounded feeling. Don’t get me wrong, it still carries that London Libertines and associated bands feeling to it, which means it will always split opinion but it has its moments. ‘Ready To Move’ could pass for an early Arctic Monkeys versus Bloc Party mash-up and there is a sense of urgency that both of these bands exhibited on their initial releases.
There are a few character based songs to keep your brain engaged and the album holds together well, it just maybe lacks enough to get really excited over.