Hello reader,
How are you today? We hope you’ve enjoyed our recent content.
Today, we’re excited to introduce another artist making great music: Time Thieves. They’re a Chicago-based power pop band that has gained a reputation for their incredible live shows, including supporting acts like Joyce Manor, Laura Jane Grace, and the incredible punk rock festival “The Fest“. The band’s current lineup is a powerhouse quartet consisting of Jonathan Pool (guitars, lead vocals, synths, production), Tim Reynolds (guitars, vocals), Annie Saunders (bass guitar, vocals), and Mike Oberlin (drums), and together they are making catchy songs that are guitar riff-heavy. The group is made up of talented musicians who grew up in the DIY punk scene playing in numerous punk bands in the Midwest, but mostly the Chicago area, including but not limited to, Sass Dragons, This is My Fist!, Ambition Mission, Brickfight, Hospital Job, and Horrible Things. All that being said, they are also known for what they do outside of the band. Reynolds was a graphic designer responsible for the covers of your favorite Polyvinyl albums from 2013-2019, and still works in graphic and motion design. And Saunders’ incredible, influential backstory was captured in a must-read profile in the fantastic Chicago Reader.
Time Thieves’ debut album, Space, came out in 2020 and was released by Midwest-based indie label Anxious and Angry, and doesn’t seem to be in print. To those lucky few who got a copy, congrats! And on May 6th, 2025, the band self-released an EPs worth of music entitled Come Home EP. A reason to stay excited, this is the first of two EPs from the band this year.
Besides the bands’ instrumentation, additional credits on the EP include:
- Recorded by Jonathan Pool at Kildare Studios and his house, late 2024- early 2025
- Mixed and Mastered by Luke McNeill
- Cover photo by Annie Saunders
- Cover art by Tim Reynolds
In SWT’s opinion, one of the best songs on the Come Home EP is “Forever Drifting.” That’s the single that we’re going to spotlight today. We’re so stoked to share it with you. The fourth song on the EP is an earworm of a song that gets rollicking out of the gate with some dissonance, followed soon after by heavy guitar and vocals. The harmonized chorus atop the underlying chugging melody that incorporates some impeccable bass lines, rock solid drumwork, tight musicianship and lyrics that question state of mind and state of being combine forces for a damn good song. The effect creates a drone (musical) ambience employed in the best ways, as it hangs in the balance, while the melody marches forward. In my mind, “Forever Drifting” would be excellent live.
A closer look at the cover for the Come Home EP. Cover photo by Annie Saunders, cover art by Tim Reynolds:
The Come Home EP Track list:
- Cover My Ears (1:49)
- Feels Different (4:00)
- Remember I Forgot (2:56)
- Forever Drifting (4:51)
- Come Home (3:34)
You can follow and listen to Time Thieves at the following links:
Instagram: Time Thieves (@timethieveschicago)
Bandcamp: timethieveschicago.bandcamp.com/music
Spotify: Spotify Time Thieves
YouTube: @TimeThievesVEVO
Scummy Water Tower Productions co-founder, reviewer, business manager, and editor. Thank you for visiting this site, scummywatertower.com, and YouTube for Water Tower Sessions and SWT Interviews. And all of our socials.
Questions, feedback, or more? Contact me: alex@scummywatertower.com
