Thus Love - “Family Man”

The Vermont-based Thus Love continued their streak of sharing thought-provoking and mesmeric music with yesterday’s release of “Family Man.” It’s the second single from their forthcoming full length, Memorial, and sees the trio pairing their refined post-punk musical palette with a thematic focus on the societal struggles of the working poor. 

For me, the term “Family Man” immediately brings to mind Black Flag’s 1984 spoken word album of the same name. Like the legendary Los Angeles punks, Thus Love’s usage of the phrase invokes a similar, yet different, lyrical irony. Instead of angrily dressing down the stereotypically haughty “family man,” Thus Love seems to create a more empathetic portrait, engaging in what they describe as “a playful commentary on internalized capitalism and the mutual hardships of the working class in a binary world.” They further shared that the song “hints at an inevitable systemic collapse relieving all anguish,” which crystallizes at the song’s chaotic conclusion where the drums, vocals, and guitars all sharply rise in intensity. Fans of The Fall, Ought, and Wire will find much to enjoy sonically. 

The band also shared a video for the track, which you can stream below.

You can pre-order Memorial on limited edition vinyl via Bandcamp. The album is out this fall on Captured Tracks. The band’s music is also available on all streaming platforms.

Thus Love has several live dates on the horizon, including several in support of Viagra Boys and Shame. For a for list of dates, check out their linktree. Keep up with the band by following them on Instagram.