Now We Can See, the most recent release by Portland's The Thermals, bursts with optimistic energy even as its lyrics burn a caustic path. The band works a rather simple musical attack, opting for chunky hummable chords crossed with sing-song lyrics only a handful of steps off the playground. Bitterness rarely plays this satisfyingly or this toe-tappingly. We disagree with critics who seem to think it's a step backward from 2006's The Body, The Blood, The Machine, but do the album makes no great artistic leaps forward from that point.
