Review Summary: 2008's most overlooked release just so happens to be the bearer of that year's most overlooked sub-genre: black metal influenced post-punk.
As easy as it would be to dismiss Thy Mighty Contract's eponymous debut as just another artsy-fartsy post-punk record, it's near impossible to do that once you've given it the attention it deserves. On a cursory listen, the band gives off the impression that their dorky persona and D&D-player flair hinders their music, but as you delve into its depths, it becomes extremely clear that its effect is the exact opposite: it gives them a charisma which many of their peers are lacking - some sort of energetic personality that remains extremely inviting. But this leads to a part of the band's mission statement: to instill faith in indie detractors with their anti-egotistical lyrics. Thy Mighty Contract wipes the slate of pretense and self-importance away with their raw sound and relatable vulnerability. But that is an ancillary role in comparison to the next part of the band's ethos: the drive and ability to fulfill their potential as a quaint post-punk outfit.
Throughout their debut they combine fiercely repetitive melodies, complex time signatures, and a sense of the unexpected, which leads to a quaint, but extremely infectious listen. The band's pop sensibilities have been integrated with steadfast guitar dynamics so that their melodies are both technical and absorbing, as seen on the chaotic "Yur a Piece of Wurk," which revolves around shifts in dynamics. This track symbolizes the rhythmic elements of Thy Mighty Contract: dual guitarists, determined passages of melodic singing, and raw, energetic yells. "Two Cities" shows the combination of these elements best, constantly escalating in terms of speed, volume, and intensity to lead to a brief exercise in trippy and experimental music. "Bats in the Dark" is also very groove-oriented, and "Conjugal Freelance" is a reflection of Thy Mighty Contract's musical talents, such as complex and spastic drumming, as well as some unpredictable bass lines. On the instrumental, "Inconspicuous Overlander" these unpredictable bass lines take the reigns while the guitars fall into the back seat, accepting the fact that for a short two minutes, they'll be sustaining notes rather than sneaking in and out of choruses with their sweeping intricacy. It's a brief glance at an alternate side of Thy Mighty Contract, but therein lies one of the band's problems: brevity.
Running at just seconds more than twenty minutes, this album flies by with little to no effort; subsequently, many of the band's songs end abruptly. It works with tracks like "Two Cities," "Yur a Piece of Wurk," and "Kill What You Can," but songs like "Inconspicuous Overlander" are the personification of this flaw. What's worse though is that this track unravels a new side of Thy Mighty Contract which relies more on escalating intensity and speed than any other track on the album; however, the track ends before much can be done with it. It's like musical blue balls: slow jerk but no pay. But it's extremely hard
not to love
Thy Mighty Contract, even at their worst. Sure, this track in particular is one that doesn't fulfill its obvious potential, but that's not to say that any of the other tracks fall ill to the same plague. Thy Mighty Contract has just too much charisma and talent to deny.
They speak of relative subjects rather than the awfully contrived on songs like "Conjugal Freelance," where Lindsey Leigh Harbour of I Would Set Myself On Fire For You fame sings lines of lost love and frustration with lines like: "Match me up with the boy in the corner with the silver cup/I should have driven home, I should have given up on this..." But she also voices her discomfort with society being so image-centric with lines like: "You're sleeping with sizzlers and hoping for purpose with girls who could care less." Harbour also showcases her innovative vocal approach with two completely different vocal approaches: relaxed and ethereal singing, as well as a more rigid and purposeful yell. Luckily she slips into some unexpected whispers on "Yur a Piece of Wurk," but the inclusion is minimal and satisfying. Another fortunate factor of
Thy Mighty Contract is the eclecticism throughout. The band moves seamlessly through surf rock, post-punk, indie, pop, and a small amount of post-rock while remaining as eccentric and purely interesting as possible. Maybe that's why after dozens of listens,
Thy Mighty Contract is still catchy and relevant as hell.
