Now We Can See

Now We Can See is the sound of an indie band growing older. Where their previous albums are slathered in youthful fuzz and punk slop, The Thermals’ fourth record embraces pop-song craftsmanship. “When I Died” sets the tone, with its complex interplay between ebullient melodicism and dark subject matter, and “When I Was Afraid” provides further evidence in its agile deployment of power pop’s tight punch. Their skill also extends to ballads like “How We Fade,” which balances poetic abstraction with heartbroken immediacy.