Thunderegg: Open Book

Open Book: the Collected Thunderegg, 1995-2004 might be one of the best bargains in rock history. The anthology, which comes with a 108-page lyric booklet, includes the first eight Thunderegg albums in MP3 format on a data CD, and it is available on the band’s website (www.thunderegg.org) for a mere twenty-five dollars. Although currently a six-piece band, Thunderegg began as the solo project of Will Georgantas, a songwriter with a penchant for quirky, confessional lyrics and pleasant arrangements. On Open Book, Georgantas makes the most of his four tracks of cassette recording space, drawing on a sonic palette consisting of guitars, drum machines, shaken percussion, keyboards, and vocal harmonies. His songs range from spare acoustic ballads to delicate instrumentals to catchy pop-rock numbers. Not every song works, but a surprising amount of the music is very good, and the collection is consistently enjoyable. Listeners who invest in Open Book can look forward to spending hours tracing the evolution of a unique artist and enjoying high quality independent music.