# Omaha’s Indie Folk Pop Sextet Thunder Power and New Friend Ships EP

- Link: https://indierockcafe.com/2009/08/omahas-indie-folk-pop-sextet-thunder-power-and-new-friend-ships-ep/
- Published: 2009-08-19T07:37:00-04:00
- Author: Max Hammer

[[After meeting at a gig in Omaha, Nebraska, local indie folk pop band Thunder Power
recorded some new songs that were recently released on a split EP, Friend Ships,
with London recording artist Alessi Ark.

For the purposes of this review, the focus is on the magical music of Thunder Power.
After a decade of making music together, the band has only recently revealed to 
indie music lovers their perfected, unified sound that draws on their appreciation
of different music styles, including folk, pop and rock, and their various talents
as musicians.

While there are only three of them, the Thunder Power songs contained on the split
Friend Ships EP are tantalizing and wistful, masterfully spanning a spectrum of 
moods from melancholy to jubilation within a relatively limited bandwidth. The array
of sonic experiences that colors Thunder Power’s music is potentially as enjoyable
for listeners as it appears to be for the band – that’s always a good sign.

The tender and unforgettable voice of Thunder Power’s lead vocalist Kacynna Tompsett
is a perfect match for the band’s well-honed sound; a case of one complimenting 
the other. Tompsett’s voice at times is strikingly similar to Chan Markshall (Cat
Power) and yet retains its own identity and charm.

The first Thunder Power song, “Postscripts,” is a dreamy, love sick ballad fused
with lush harmonies and a free-flowing accordion. The following track, “Sleep, Not
Violence,” is a folksy lament that morphs into a rock song backed by ambient organs,
slide guitar and a snare drum. “Blood Water,” the final track on the EP, is an epic
tale of struggle and loss in the haze of the ‘American Dream.’ It will be interesting
to hear what the band does for their first full length, even though there is no 
official word that a debut LP is in the works.

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and the Nocturnal States Compilation

Thunder Power caught the attention of Slumber Party Records back in 2007 and signed
on to record and release their highly-acclaimed debut EP Love Yourself which was
produced by Ian Aeillo (Bright Eyes, Conor Oberst, Cursive).

The success of the EP paved the way for the release of Friend Ships, which Aeillo
and Saddle Creek Records also contributed to. Among the band’s musical influences
include Nick Drake, Belle and Sebastian, Camera Obscura, Elliott Smith, Johnny Cash,
Loney Dear and The Smiths.

[“Sleep, Not Violence”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/03%20Sleep,%20Not%20Violence.mp3)–
Thunder Power from Friend Ships (2009)

[“Postscript”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/01%20Postscript.mp3)–
Thunder Power from Friend Ships (2009)

[Thunder Power on MySpace](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/thunderpowermusic)

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