Search - Thurman :: Lux

Way better than the detractors would have you believe!

Kellryan | Portland, Oregon, USA | 05/05/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's funny how the success a band achieves (or lack thereof) can flavor how history rates them. If Nick & Simon Kenny of Thurman had managed to make it big a la the other post-"Parklife" britpop bands that had their eyes collectively opened by Blur's reinvention between 1993 and '95, I think they wouldn't be lamely mocked by certain musical elitists. "Lux" is actually a terrific album despite criticisms of its frequently recycled riffs borrowed liberally from mid-to-late '60s British Invasion groups. (That this "borrowing" is a hallmark of EVERY great group of the britpop era never seems to enter the mind of Thurman detractors.) And, yes, the three lads of Thurman used to be the core instrumentalists of an early-'90s metal group called 2 Die 4. However, who can blame them for realizing that hair metal was both: 1. Dying, and; 2. Far less interesting musically than, say, The Kinks or T. Rex. But hey, they were teens back then. Growing up, they gained great appreciation for the giants of the Sixties. And so "Lux" has so many echoes of lovely retro British rock: Lennon, Bolan and Davies' ideas appear all over this album, couched in that swell mid-'90s britpop sheen. I think it's a fine album, and anyone who loves "Modern Life is Rubbish" and "Parklife" would do well to check it out. It's certainly MILES beyond, say, Menswear's "Nuisance". Oh, and check out the post-Thurman group The Four Storeys. It's like Thurman gone folkrock. Wonderful stuff. HEY HYPOCRITICAL ELISTIST JERKS: Stop criticising the Kenny Brothers for being musical chameleons when you praise exactly that trait in other artists (David Bowie, anyone?) One last note: they're currently doing an interesting "Johnny Cash-meets-Tom Waits in a David Lynch movie" project called The Long Insiders. Check it out."

Lost Brit Pop Gem

paperbackriter | USA | 11/17/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Released late in '95, Thurman's "Lux" got buried in all the Oasis/Blur/Pulp hoopla. Too bad, because "Lux" is loaded with 13 memorable ditties which draw from the likes of Marc Bolan, Mott the Hoople and the Kinks. Singer Nicholas Kenny's very British voice is a pleasant hybrid of David Bowie and Damon Albarn, with a bit of Ray Davies tossed in for good measure. The catchy songs (BIG hooks!) are mostly quirky sketches of eccentric characters. Highlights include the rockin' "She's a Man", the aching minor-chord workout "English Tea" and "Cheap Holiday" which would've fit perfectly on Blur's "Great Escape" (Damon, is that you singing?). Best of all is "Clowns" which nicks the guitar-lick of the Kinks' "Sunny Afternoon" before melting into a glorious middle section flush with Brian Wilson-like harmonies then, finally, fading out in raunchy three-chord fashion. Whatever happened to Thurman is anyone's guess, but "Lux" is one heck of an album -- a reverent tribute to great British Rock. Fans of Brit Pop -- be it the 60's & '70's variety, or modern bands a la Blur -- will no doubt feel at home with "Lux" in the CD player. Check it out!"