The Thing With Feathers Debut With “So Electric”
Album Review ★ C.L. Wages ★ @soundslikecl ★ 7 Minutes
Hey y’all, it's me again, back with another review. Today’s topic of discussion is none other than The Thing With Feathers’ debut album titled So Electric. If you don’t already know, The Thing With Feathers is an indie pop/rock band based out of Nashville, Tennessee. Made up of 3 permanent members and a revolving bassist, Dave Welsch (Lead Vocals, Guitar), Alex Hendricks (Lead Guitar), and Chris Roussell (Drummer), have been working tirelessly to bring that classic indie sleaze sound to the forefront of everyone’s minds.
Prior to their album release, their discography was made up of multiple singles and an EP, with a range of slow songs to cry about, to energetic melodies that make you want to dance, they have a song for almost any mood. Listening to their older releases, you can hear their sound develop through the years as songs get more polished and their specific sound becomes more distinguished.
Released on October 24th, 2025, So Electric is definitely a reflection of this growth. The tracklist is made up of 12 songs, spanning 42 minutes in total length. When comparing their first release to the album, listeners can hear the work that was put in to hone in on their personal styles and talents.
(left) “So Electric” LP art (right) frontman Dave Welsch, photographer unknown
The first song on the tracklist is titled Miniskirt and is very much a high energy dancing tune. It starts off with a repetitive guitar riff that instantly catches your ear. The lyrics bounce around from being excited, bouncy and suggestive to some that are a little more… Reflective? Nostalgic, maybe? To me, the song is a testament to not running out of time, living life in the moment with the person you love, and maybe even taking a chance leap of faith to get to the person you admire. That’s only my perspective though, I could be totally off. Whatever the song is about, it’s catchy and easy to sing along to!
Following Miniskirt is another high energy tune, with a bit of a heavier sound, the guitar especially having a darker intonation to it. Catching Your Eye, is not shy in what it's about, in fact the title really says it all. With lyrics like “I know that I’m on your mind,” and “Yeah, I know that you want me, c’mon and reach out and touch what it feels like,” it’s obvious, at least to me, what this song is about. It can be hard to capture specific feelings in songs sometimes, but they had no issues capturing the feeling of being desired in this one.
I’ll See You Around is the next song on the list and is a stark contrast to the first two songs. Again, it's got a darker, heavier, sound to it, instrumental wise, but it's a bit more mellow in the rhythm and melody. This song feels very much like a goodbye song, which could have been concluded from a title, but becomes much more obvious when paying close attention to the lyrics. It’s giving the feeling when you know the heartbreak is coming but it hurts just as bad anyways. I’ll See You Around does a great job of exploring the emotions of two people growing apart.
Next up we have Empty Conversations, and much like the song before, it starts off slow before picking up around the first bridge and chorus. The instrumental is back to having a brighter feeling and intonation to it despite the song being a bit more relaxed when it comes to the rhythm. One downside to this song is that I can’t really understand the lyrics past the opening lines. Now, that could just be me, having hearing damage from years of going to shows with no ear protection (wear earplugs kids). Based solely on the sound, I really enjoy this song, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the lyrics impact the melody. (They don’t have the lyrics on spotify yet, but coming from someone who has also released music on Sp*tify, it costs money to put lyrics in??? So I understand the lack of lyrics).
The next song is titled Undercover, and feels very much like that classic Nashville Indie vibe. To me, that sound never gets old, it’s catchy and rhythmic enough to be an earworm, but not so energetic that listening to it gets overstimulating. From what I can tell, or at least to me, the song is about realizing someone has fallen out of love with you, and now you’re having to watch them move on when you still hold the same feelings as before. The lyrics tell a story of coming to term with the fact that whatever feels were had, are now one sided.
Dive Bar Breakdown is next up on the roster and boy oh boy, is this such a sad song to want to dance to. This song is all about going out when you’re depressed and having to pretend you’re not. Or maybe that’s just my depression talking. The physical sound of this song is upbeat, fast paced and has a little bit of a groovy feel to it, but the lyrics are pure emotions, and feeling everything no matter how hard you try to push them away or pretend you aren’t feeling. This breakdown’s soundtrack is so happy, that if you weren’t actively paying attention to the lyrics you would have no idea what the true feelings behind the song are.
Do away with those sad feelings because this next song is the polar opposite, lyrics wise. You Know You Love It is another upbeat dancing song, except this time the lyrics don’t throw you into a pit of despair where you reflect on the life choices that lead you to this moment. Anyways… This song is exactly what the title sounds like, “Life is fun and nothing's wrong, let's drive really fast and do nefarious things.” That’s not a lyric, just the vibes of this song. It feels like a song that belongs in a coming of age movie where they drive off in a convertible. (Why does every teen movie have that exact scene?)
(left) Dave (right) Chris via Kylie Fajman - view gallery here
The next song is So Electric, the namesake of the album. This track takes the album down a road of dance pop-rock, electric funkiness. Don’t ask me what that’s supposed to mean, just go listen to the song. It’s reminiscent of disco if disco had punchy guitar and a solid drum sound. With bouncy synth and fun, lighthearted lyrics, I can see why they named their whole album after this song. It really combines all of the elements I had mentioned before. If The Thing With Feathers can do one thing, it’s write a catchy song.
Okay, quit dancing, we’re back in our feels again. Change Your Mind is the 9th song on the tracklist and gives a slower, more melodic experience when listening. It’s not as busy as the other songs, and is way more stripped down than its previous counterparts. The first listen through I wasn’t really paying attention to the lyrics, but the instrumentals caught the vibes wonderfully which can be hard to do at times. Quick, google how to make a guitar sound like it’s yearning.
This next one isn’t as slow but still has us in our feels, with that grungy, darker guitar intonation making a return. Silence Alone reminds me of early 5 Seconds of Summer, and really emphasizes that pop rock sound. The lyrics are somber and feel like grieving a lost love that moved on without you, which seems to be a common theme throughout the album. It definitely feels familiar and on track with what they've already released, but in a way that's more polished. Personally, I really enjoyed this song, and it may be my favorite off the album.
Don't Let Me Die is another funky one despite the semi-worrisome title. Whoever wrote this song was processing some tough emotions, I get it, king, don't worry. The lyrics remind me of how it feels to give up on a dream after realizing no matter how hard you try, it’s just not going to work, and yet… You still hold out hope that things are going to change. Now again, this is just my perspective and maybe I’m going through something that makes me understand the song in this way, but that’s the beauty of music right? Once again, this one is a catchy earworm that is super easy to sing along to.
We’ve made it to our last song, and boy has it been a rollercoaster of emotions. Two Minute Drill is the epitome of sad acoustic jams and it’s amazing at what it’s trying to do. When reading through the lyrics I get a sense of waiting for something for so long, just for it to be over in a flash. While we’re in the moment it’s easy to feel like we're standing in the middle of chaos unable to move or be in the moment. Like looking back on a long road, seeing how far you’ve come and realizing, in fact, just how far you’ve come. Whatever it's about, it's a beautiful acoustic ballad, and you should listen to it.
Now we’ve reached the end, and this album had an interesting contrast of songs that were soulful, heartbreak mourning songs, and songs that were full of good vibes. It was two sides of a relationship I feel like, the beginning, and the dreadful end. Maybe I’m over analyzing it, who knows? Either way, this album is full of bangers along with songs that are perfect for driving in the rain. I’m super proud of how far this band has come, and it’s been very cool to watch them grow and develop. Best wishes for the future, and finally… Go stream So Electric by The Thing With Feathers.
