Sometimes bands build up their audience’s energy over the course of a set, but The Thermals had no interest in easing anyone in on Wednesday night at the Black Cat. After a jovial hello from singer/guitarist Hutch Harris, the Portland trio began their hour long set with 2006 standout “Return to the Fold” inspiring a loud, audience-wide sing-a-long. The rest of the show followed suit as Harris, bassist Kathy Foster and drummer Westin Glass gave a filler-free jaunt through their catalog, while the audience did their best to mirror the band’s energy and enthusiasm.

And The Thermals were nothing if not enthusiastic. While they’ve never been short on ardor, Harris has previously lunged at the microphone with the sort of righteous fury and fist shaking usually reserved for evangelists. But on this year’s Now We Can See, Harris spun his incendiary lyrical content in a different direction, focusing his energy on (slightly) more feel good songs, like the title track and “I Called Out Your Name.” The backup vocals of bouncy bassist Kathy Foster added an additional dimension to the power pop gems.