Daily Thompson - "Chuparosa"
Daily Thompson is a trio from Dortmund, Germany, primarily known for their uncanny ability to extract the grunge, alternative, and dreampop soul from the 90s and incorporate it into their own unique blend of stoner, grunge, desert, and alternative rock. While this band allows you to mentally travel back in time to that era, generating a warm, fuzzy, happy feeling, Daily Thompson possesses a soul and sound that is uniquely their own and is fresh and modern.
Daily Thompson was formed in late 2012, strongly influenced by bands such as Alice in Chains, Sonic Youth, Kyuss, and the Smashing Pumpkins (it's the opinion of this author that you'd be hard pressed to find a better combination of bands anywhere). They spent their first two years as a band touring extensively throughout Europe. Their debut self-titled album was released in May 2014 and was followed by six more releases including albums, EPs, and a live album. During this time, Daily Thompson spent their time honing their signature sound, doing a phenomenal job of keeping it firmly in the realms of both stoner/desert and grunge/alternative, while still managing to constantly evolve. For their sixth and latest studio release, Chuparosa, the band really kicked things up a notch. Not only did they enlist the help of none other than Tony Reed (Mos Generator, Big Scenic Nowhere) in the engineering/mastering department, but they recorded the album in Port Orchard near Seattle. Talk about going right to the roots of your inspiration.
I personally heard Daily Thompson for the first time in 2023 and immediately fell in love with their album God of Spinoza in particular. Songs like Nimbus and A Girl Like You reminded me not only of my own favorite 90s alternative bands growing up, but of being carefree, in love, young, and hopeful...summer nights, daydreams, and friends. In short, it made me so damn happy, I felt like I could just spontaneously spread my arms and fly away; such a sunny, lighthearted feeling. So, when I heard that Daily Thompson was working on Chuparosa, I was beyond eager to hear the latest progression of the band's sound, but was also selfishly hoping for some more God of Spinoza-esque nostalgia. Turns out, my wish was granted, and then some...
Chuparosa
Chuparosa contains 6 infectious and emotive tracks, with a run time of nearly 37 minutes.
1. I'm Free Tonight
I'm Free Tonight was the first single released from Chuparosa, and is something incredibly different from Daily Thompson. This time, the band leans hard into the classic desert rock sound, summoning the power of bands like Fu Manchu and Monster Magnet and adding their signature Daily Thompson soul and groove. That's a little less surprising to hear when you learn that this song includes a solo from none other than Bob Balch (Fu Manchu) himself! This is a feel-good song from start to finish, with super high energy; almost an anthem of sorts. What an incredible way to start off Chuparosa.
2. Pizza Boy
This song maintains the feel-good energy of I'm Free Tonight, this time with an undercurrent of a dark, sexy groove.
3. Diamond Waves (a Love Song for the Ocean)
The pace slows down exponentially here, and my girl heart that I hate to admit that I have nearly exploded at the immediate beauty of this song. I'm definitely reminded of God of Spinoza here, but on a much more sophisticated level. Instrumentals ebb and flow between a lull and a low roar, much like the waves of the ocean itself. A prominent bass groove throughout keeps the song grounded, and vocals are calm and melodic. Diamond Waves is quite meditative, easy to get blissfully lost in, but there's also a longing/mournful quality present, adding greatly to the passion of the song.
4. Raindancer
Raindancer brings the energy back with a great gritty stoner rock song, the melodic vocals providing nice contrast.
5. Ghost Bird
Ghost Bird begins with a killer bluesy electric buzz that is maintained throughout the song as it evolves into infectious choruses that compel you to get up and dance, but the spooky blues tone provides a glint of apprehension. It's very nice to see a bluesy song on Chuparosa, adding further to the great variety present on the album and reminding me that Daily Thompson does blues incredibly well.
6. Chuparosa
Chuparosa was the second single released from the album, but it was the radio edit version, ultimately cutting the song's run time nearly in half. So, I was definitely excited to hear the full version of the song, having fallen head over heels for its shortened version, and I certainly wasn't disappointed. Similar to Diamond Waves (a Love Song for the Ocean), Chuparosa showcases the dreamy grunge side of Daily Thompson, but Chuparosa provides more of a contrast between the melancholy verses and triumphant, soaring choruses. This song is a prime example of that sunshine after the storm feeling of grunge that I love so much about the genre, and that "so happy I could fly" feeling I mentioned earlier. Absolutely gorgeous.
Final Thoughts
I'm sure I don't have to say that Chuparosa did not disappoint. As I hinted at in the beginning, this album delivered on all I could possibly wish for from a new Daily Thompson album and then some. Chuparosa, probably more than any other release from the band, highlights not only the evolution of their sound, but everything they do especially well. You have a heightened focus on the classic desert rock sound on tracks such as I'm Free Tonight and Pizza Boy, on which the band digs even deeper into that gritty, high octane energy. We also see the band expanding upon their characteristic 90s alternative/grunge sound on songs such as Diamond Waves (a Love Song for the Ocean) and Chuparosa, adding a noticeably sophisticated depth. In particular, I noticed a bit more of an emphasis on the alternative/dreampop sound here, which I thoroughly enjoyed (what can I say, it made my little heart very happy). Overall, Chuparosa is proof positive that Daily Thompson isn't content to stagnate, and is willing to not only develop new skills but refine old ones. That ambition and energy is palpable throughout the album. Sometimes when a band is already essentially perfect in your eyes, it's difficult to wrap your mind around them improving upon the things you love about them, but even this fan can happily admit that Chuparosa is a beautiful level-up for Daily Thompson.
More About Daily Thompson
Daily Thompson Is:
Danny Zaremba - vocals, guitar, cigar box
Mercedes Lalakakis - bass, vocals
Thorsten Stratmann - drums, vocals
You can follow/listen to Daily Thompson's music at the following links:
You know what to do, get out there and show Daily Thompson some much-deserved love!
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