Album Review

Not Thrilled sounds like Fine China found a stack of forgotten new-wave records, absorbed every one of them, and then made something completely their own. The guitars shimmer, the keyboards add just the right amount of atmosphere, and Rob Withem's restrained vocals fit the melancholy mood perfectly. The album has an unmistakable '80s influence, but it never feels like costume music or simple nostalgia. Beneath the cool exterior are exceptionally well-written pop songs. Fine China has spent years being one of the most underrated bands around, and Not Thrilled is another reason they deserve a much larger audience.

Arriving after more than a decade away, Not Thrilled sounds less like a reunion album than the continuation of a conversation Fine China had simply left unfinished. "Anybody Else" immediately establishes the record's character, pairing bright, ringing guitars with a restless melancholy that runs through much of the album. "The Light of Spring" softens the edges without losing that underlying sense of unease, while "Featherweight" and "Miles Out" demonstrate how naturally the band can turn introspection into melodic guitar pop.

The record works because Fine China never overplays its influences. There are traces of New Order, XTC, Crowded House and the kind of guitar-driven alternative pop that once filled late-night college radio, but the songs are unmistakably Fine China's. Greg Markov's bass and Thom Walsh's drums give the record a steady pulse while Withem fills the spaces around them with chiming guitars, subtle keyboards and melodies that often sound brighter than the words underneath them. That contrast gives Not Thrilled much of its personality.

"The Hymnal 1982" is one of the album's most interesting moments, mixing memories of faith with uncertainty and longing, while "Mindful" leans deeper into the record's reflective side. "Iron Is Your Love" carries a darker atmosphere before the title track brings together much of what makes the album work: melancholy, anxiety, humor and a melody that seems almost effortlessly memorable. Even when the subject matter turns heavy, Fine China rarely allows the music to become weighed down by it.

The closing "Can We Forget About the Nightmare?" feels appropriately weary, ending the record with questions rather than easy answers. That is ultimately what separates Not Thrilled from a simple exercise in nostalgia. Fine China may borrow the textures of another era, but the emotions are those of people looking at life from a very different point in time. It is an album about getting older, looking back, carrying regret and still trying to find something beautiful inside all of it.

Not Thrilled is understated by design. It doesn't demand attention with oversized production or obvious hooks; instead, its songs slowly settle in and become difficult to shake. Fine China returned after thirteen years sounding older, more reflective and perhaps a little less thrilled with the world, but their ability to write elegant, melancholy pop music remained completely intact.