Toxic Thrust – I Love You (Single Review)

The debut single by Seattle-based garage rock band Toxic Thrust is a rip-roaring jam that will immediately send listeners bouncing off the walls and into a frenzied dance with the group’s infectious energy. The band make sure to leave no one behind in these two songs bursting with life and personality.

Suitably due to be released on 14th February, the single is made up of old-school art rock song ‘I Love You’ on side A and the undeniably hummable ‘Centotaph’ on side B. There is a larger than life helping of creativity and electric spirit in these two tracks to cleverly showcase the mood and groove of the members of this eclectic group of talents.

The first single, ‘I Love You’, which stands at just under two minutes, immediately slaps the listener in the face with its catchy calls of “I love you!” and it’s affecting blend of retro guitar and lively drum beat. The group waste absolutely no time in infecting listeners with their unique and incredibly memorable energy, which is a quality that will appeal to many just looking for a song to unapologetically bring the party.

Kicked off by a fast-paced beat interspersed by the bands’ comically delivered vocals, that sound not a million miles away from The B-52’s expressive vocalist Fred Schneider, the band deliver a contagious rush of carefree spirit to their audience. From the beginning there appears to be an emphasis on the overflowing positivity and fun that ‘I Love You’ stands for, rather than necessarily on complex rhythms or arrangements, and that is what makes this song so entirely worthy of the replay button.

In addition to this, the band’s sound, which sounds more derived from 70s/80s art rock bands, is so unlike the tired formulas many rock bands put out nowadays, and is thrilling in its ambition to be big and bold. It unquestionably succeeds in bringing the crazy to the listeners though, without laying on a pretentious act that audiences may find difficult to settle into.

The playful dramaticism is amplified tenfold by background vocals from the Holy Names Academy girls school choir, who bring another fit of dynamism to Toxic Thrust’s striking sound. This is expressed in a call-and-answer style delivery, with the main vocalist taking centre stage (“Hey sweetie come on!”) and the chorus contributing an abundance of enthusiasm (“I love you!”). This refrain proves to be so catchy that it leaves no hesitation that listeners will be chanting along even on their very first listen.

The bouncy and light-hearted nature of the song just screams feel-good ‘dance until you drop’ vibes. Audiences will love this song not just for its out of the box style and delivery, but for the carefree attitude of the entire group, which is rare but wonderful to hear.

Listen To Toxic Thrust – I Love You

The single’s second song, ‘Centotaph’, offers a similarly good time. Starting with an effortlessly groovy U2-esque guitar riff that is soon joined by the sweet vocalisations of the Holy Names Academy girls school choir. The main vocalist’s cool exclamations again draw comparisons between Toxic Thrust’s sound and the nostalgic edge of old-school indie rock bands from decades gone by. There is also a barely contained charisma that seems to seep through this track through the main vocalist’s confident utilisation of various vocal techniques such as singing, talking and some growling screams. Ultimately, it’s another entirely singable track that audiences will have no issues vibing along with and jamming to in the car.

There is a pleasing sense of simplicity about this song, with the repetition of the guitar riff and the “la la la la la” of the backing vocals, because it all lends itself so well to the uncomplicated ‘living in the moment’ style that this band seems to have mastered; there’s no need to overthink their music, just lose yourself in it and good times are guaranteed.

Score/Excellent: There is a definite charm about Toxic Thrust’s colourful debut, which delights and fascinates in its energy and cheerful tone. Audiences will doubtless respect the band for venturing into a sound that is seldom appreciated nowadays; a taste of that 70s/80s rock groove that has influenced so much of today’s rock scene, and yet has never been exactly replicated. There is enough of its nostalgia in this band’s first offering however, along with an unbridled joy for music and performing that is palpable even through the studio recording. No matter how you plan to listen to Toxic Thrust’s debut, I offer you one piece of advice: just surrender to the crazy, you won’t regret it.

[We rank albums, E.Ps and singles on a scale of Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, and Outstanding]

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