The Houston Critic

The Tragic Thrills Performance Review
By -Andrew Dethloff

August 15 ,2014 at Warehouse Live in Houston, Texas

Despite a name that positively drips with teenage angst, The Tragic Thrills put on a show that, while mildly thrilling, was anything but tragic. A bit of that same angst might peek through here or there in their lyrics and style but, for the most part, the energy they produce is optimistic and exciting. With nearly every song you feel a strange, magical force demanding that you bring your hands together to join in on the upbeat clapping.
Powerful and contrasting dynamics and a rock-solid lead singer transform the simplistic chord progressions of the singer-songwriter into roaring, emotional songs with the power of a full band behind it. The band’s name might lead one to expect morose, depressing lyrics, so bogged down with melodramatic metaphors and “tonight” at the end of every line that it sends listeners home to cry and write break-up poetry, but, again, we are pleasantly surprised with just the opposite. The lyrics are genuine and incredibly relatable with how they display for all to see those quiet thoughts that rattle around in all of our heads but never quite make it to the ears of others.
The Tragic Thrills are simply fun. I challenge anyone to attend a performance of theirs and try to not end up with at least a tapping foot. There is no way to be the surly guy at the end of the bar, glued to his phone with these guys. Of course, nobody can be in that good of a mood all of the time and so, after awhile, the positivity begins to spoil a bit. If dosed properly, however, The Tragic Thrills can be a useful tool in perking up any day of the week.