They Remember Roger

Thinner get fatter on The Roger Project

by John O'Neill

Inspiration can come in almost any form. Since the first caveman clacked two stones together in time and howled at the moon, a truckload of good and not-so-good ideas have become fodder for artistic vision. Songs featuring teen angels, big rigs, bitchin' cars, sleazy barrooms, mothers who let their babies grow up to be cowboys, blind men in the bleachers, bands on the run, anarchy in the UK, and a trip back to the USSR have all been committed to acetate.

But the juiciest topic -- even when coupled with the many-a-hangover-honored notion that altered consciousness equals superior creative output -- only goes so far. When in need of that extra bit of mojo, songwriters and producers have always looked to each other.

When veteran Worcester rockers Thinner headed into Tremolo Lounge studios earlier this year to cut some demo material on the cheap, inspiration took the form of engineer (and Curtain Society frontman) Roger Lavallee, who signed on to twist the knobs and to toss out some ideas. Originally, the sessions were meant as a sketch pad to map out some basic tracks. But with Lavallee on board, The Roger Project (Horrorhead) became the band's third full-length disc in as many years.

"We were gonna go in, bang [the songs] out with a minimal amount of overdubs, and go do them better [elsewhere]," says Thinner guitarist Dan Rugburn. "It turned out we liked the feeling we got from the beginning. We had basic tracks in one day, and mixed them on the second day. The order we did them in is the order [they're in] on the disc. Roger was right on."

"Plus," adds bassist Neil Lucey, " Roger's ass-less leather pants were a turn on. Watching him in ass-less leather playing spaghetti-Western guitar was great. We just sat back and let him call the shots, which is what a producer with a nice ass will do for you."

His top-shelf buttocks aside, it's obvious from Project's get-go that Lavallee has steered the band into previously uncharted waters, something Lavallee has had an uncanny knack for. As a producer, he's convinced bands to stretch their boundaries, without taking away from their essential make-up. In Thinner's case, their rough-and-ready sonics have been buoyed by more nuance and fattened -- but not flattened -- with layered guitars and vocals.

But you could also say Thinner have left their punk past behind. On Project, the band mine a sound that's a little darker, introspective, and much more atmospheric than past works like 1998's self-titled disc and 1999's excellent Sonic Dinner were. Those records were produced by heavyweight Boston producer David Minehan.

Yet Lavallee's influence aside, that Thinner have changed isn't too surprising. Since they formed in 1997, Rugburn, Lucey, and drummer Craig Wilson have consistently evolved. On their debut, Thinner came off as a beautifully moronic bash-and-pop outfit. With Sonic Dinner, the boys dabbled with psychedelia and roots-rock, and with lyrics that showed a new focus on life and love.

If anything, Lavallee pushed the band in a direction that sticks with their tried and true, keep-it-simple formula, only now, the result isn't as straight forward. Sure, "Brenda Lee," and "Swell Hog" are right out of the Thinner playbook -- subjects include whacking-off and oral sex -- and "Medicated" kicks as hard as anything they've ever recorded.

But this time out, the band focus a little more on mid-tempo numbers; there's more introspection and a lighter touch.

Not that these tuff guys will admit to any wussying-out. "I don't know if we're being more introspective. We're exploring new sounds, as any band would. Any band that wants to progress is gonna change," says Rugburn with a shrug. "Our philosophy is still that the songs sound best when they're brand new. If you can get in a studio quick enough, it'll never sound better than that."

A couple of songs were finished in the studio and "Brenda Lee" was finished in the truck on the way over. There are things on [the disc] that I don't know how I did, and I probably can't do again. But you gotta get it on tape or you'll lose the spontaneity and the freshness. You can tell," he adds.

And as for naming the album after Lavallee? The band say it was an homage to a guy who not only dragged the band to strange new worlds in record time for very little money, but also, according to Rugburn, was in perfect mental synch with the trio. "There were times where [Lavallee] made us hold back doing extra vocal takes, because he thought what we had was honest." Rugburn says Lavallee's mastery of effects proved invaluable, too. "There were times when I was trying to explain what I wanted, like `I want the guitar to sound like icicles,' and he'd put his finger in the air and the light would go on and it sounded like icicles. Whatever the fuck that sounds like."

The unplanned intensity and success of the Roger Project has yet to fade from the band's radar. In fact, Thinner are ready to head back into the studio to cut more tracks with Lavallee. But they'll do a few with Minehan as well.

"There's something about a producer with thick-rimmed glasses, and that's Roger," explains Lucey. "But, Dave has great hair and a Domino's Pizza next door. Either way, it looks good for us."

John O'Neill can be reached at johndelrey@yahoo.com.

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