Punk rock, though its definitions vary, can be seen wherever a message determines its music. If that’s true, then the Thermals are very, very punk rock—which is hardly to say the tunes themselves suffer for it. In fact, the guitar-bass-drums-voice instrumentation is as gorgeous and melodic as ever, with exceptionally strong structure and timing, and a keen sense toward listener-addictive numbers. And in that way, just like in 2003’s More Parts per Million, they’ve done it again.

But it’s a far different playing field this time around. With Fuckin A they’re showing both infectious melodies and messages that force us to nod along to the beat as well as in agreement. Now it’s more vitriolic, with stand-tall statements against the current political climate—the lyric “pray for assassination” intuits only one thing, really—and though we may find the core of that utterly disturbing, we can laud them for saying it without a shred of self-consciousness. For what, in today’s oftentimes media-pleasing musical culture, when music is more posturing than anything else, is more brash than saying what you feel without care of repercussion? What, really, could be more punk rock?

Which is what makes the Thermals, right now, the only true punk rock.

Though this is far from the only reason to appreciate what they’re doing on this album, because—meanings aside for the moment—the music reaches greater heights than ever, their three-piece as tight as you could ever believe, everything so tightly wound together as to make a triple-tiered force to be reckoned with. Is it brilliant? Yes.

Is it controversial? We will love it for being that and so much more.