The Thermals Cool It

The Thermals have decided to cool it. After fifteen years, the Portland punk-pop outfit has thrown in the gas-soaked towel. Spending most of its existence as a trio centered on frontman Hutch Harris and bassist Kathy Foster, The Thermals’ catalog probably peaked with 2006’s incendiary The Body, the Blood, the Machine. But they never lost their fire live, and were one of the most inspired bookings at the Park Tavern’s free concert series a couple summers ago. One of their earliest tracks also provided the name for Sub Pop’s spinoff imprint, Hardly Art.

Improbably, Hutch and Kathy began as a lo-fi folk duo and toured for a 15-year anniversary of their self-titled album last year. Perhaps they telegraphed their intentions with the title of The Thermals’ 2016 outing, We Disappear. They will be remembered fondly.