The name Thomas Nicholas may not be familiar to many, but he’s still instantly recognisable as the actor who played Kevin in the American Pie films, particularly to those who were in their teens at the same time as the characters on screen. And since 2008 Thomas has combined his acting, writing, directing, and producing, with a career as a musician with a handful of EPs and albums to his name. Combining acting with fronting a band is nothing new and Thomas certainly isn’t the most high profile example, compared to the likes of Juliette Lewis and Jared Leto to name but two.
It can also be easy to view the whole thing through a veil of cynicism and assume that the music is just a case of the actor feeding their ego or doing it all just to stay in the public eye. Thankfully there’s no ego here, and no desire to be thrust under the spotlight. What ‘Security’ does offer is an energetic set of pop-rock songs shot through with infectious melodies, with the rest of the band helping to add some body and vitality.
Thomas has previously had a song of his appear on the ‘American Reunion’ soundtrack and fittingly a large number of songs on ‘Security’ could easily do the same. Opening track ‘The Bet’ is full of summery tones and takes on an almost surf rock vibe with its bright guitar riffs and vocal harmonies and ‘Terrified’ keeps the early sense of momentum going with its irresistibly catchy beat and hooks. However, the album really hits its stride with the title track ‘Security’, as a slow burning verse bursts into a confident and memorable chorus that shows just how good a singer and musician Thomas is.
That’s not to say that every song on ‘Security’ reaches the same heights, and ‘Lose’ and ‘It’s Over’ are a fairly dull double-header that pass by without making much of an impact. They don’t threaten to completely derail the album, but they could have easily been cut without ‘Security’ faring any worse. And whereas most of ‘Security’ finds Thomas and his band mates in a fairly upbeat mood, ‘Rise Up’ adopts a slightly heavier tone with a darker riff at its core and lyrics that call for change and to not back down. However it doesn’t have a clear message and avoids pointing the finger in any particular direction. Instead it comes across as not much more than a semi-interesting experiment.
Thankfully, ‘The Wave’ ensures that ‘Security’ ends on a high point, its laid-back but upbeat sound epitomising the record as a whole. There may be a few songs that aren’t particularly great, but the majority of the tracks work well and paint an honest picture of a guy doing what he loves and genuinely wanting to share it with others. Thomas Nicholas may have put his name to the band but that’s as egotistical as it gets, leaving ‘Security’ as a refreshingly understated yet engaging listen.
CHRIS HILSON