Desperate Ground is the sixth album from the Portland-based indie rock band The Thermals. The album was released on April 15, 2013, on Saddle Creek Records. It was produced by John Agnello (Dinosaur Jr, Sonic Youth) in Hoboken, New Jersey. Agnello and The Thermals completed the record and evacuated the studio just hours before Hurricane Sandy ravaged New Jersey.[1]

Desperate Ground
Studio album by
ReleasedApril 15, 2013 (2013-04-15)
Recorded2012–2013
GenreIndie rock, lo-fi, alternative rock
Length26:25
LabelSaddle Creek Records
ProducerJohn Agnello
The Thermals chronology
Personal Life
(2010)
Desperate Ground
(2013)
We Disappear
(2016)

The title came from The Art of War by Sun Tzu.[2]

Reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic73/100[3]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [4]
The A.V. ClubC[5]
Consequence of SoundC+[6]
Exclaim!8/10[7]
Pitchfork5.0/10[8]

Reviews of Desperate Ground represent a diverse mix of opinions on the album. The album holds a score of 73 out of 100 from Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[3]

Track listing

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All lyrics are written by Hutch Harris; all music is composed by Kathy Foster/Hutch Harris/Westin Glass

No.TitleLength
1."Born to Kill"1:48
2."You Will Be Free"2:45
3."The Sunset"2:51
4."I Go Alone"3:12
5."The Sword by My Side"3:10
6."You Will Find Me"2:22
7."Faces Stay with Me"2:32
8."The Howl of the Winds"2:29
9."Where I Stand"2:08
10."Our Love Survives"3:08

Personnel

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  • Kathy Foster – bass, vocals
  • Hutch Harris – guitar, vocals
  • Westin Glass – drums, vocals

Chart performance

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Chart (2013) Peak
position
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[9] 1
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[10] 39

References

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  1. ^ Maurer, Mark (2013-03-05). "After visit during Sandy, the Thermals back in N.J. for Maxwell's show". NJ.com. Retrieved 2014-11-18.
  2. ^ Remus, Deborah (2013-04-11). "The Thermals – 04.11.13". absolutepunk.net. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
  3. ^ a b "Desperate Ground by The Thermals". Metacritic. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
  4. ^ Desperate Ground at AllMusic
  5. ^ The A.V. Club review
  6. ^ Consequence of Sound review
  7. ^ Exclaim! review
  8. ^ Pitchfork review
  9. ^ "The Thermals Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard.
  10. ^ "The Thermals Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard.