There’s too many things to reply to: 1. Branch in the river started a tradition of thrice songs that start really cool and just flop at the chorus lol. Crooked shadows is up there too lol 2. Ed is like secretly the heart of the band, or at least certain albums. The more you listen to the bottom end of Beggars, the more you realize it’s his album. Pretty sure he wrote The Weight as well. Also, while we’re on beggars, why did that Dawn Treader song make the cut? 3. Major/minor is tight, but I get the preachy qualms. Words in the water and anthology are probably top 10 tracks from this band. Anthology in particular is this blend of heavy and pretty that I think is uniquely thrice. Like even though I would probably put other songs above it, it feels like one of their most special songs to me, if that makes sense?
My constant take is that M/m is half good and half unlistenable to me. Yellow Belly, Promises, Call It In the Air, Blur, and Disarmed I would keep. Blinded, Cataracts, Treading Paper, Words In the Water, and Listen Through Me are not for me. Anthology is excellent, but doesn't really fit on the album. I maintain that it should've been a standalone single as a thank you/goodbye to fans going into the final tour before the hiatus.
In response to item 2, I assume you mean the Great Exchange? I'd never associated it with the Dawn Treader, unless my memory's really failing me about the book. I thought it was a broader metaphor for the fall of man and later propitiation.
I'm just glad they didn't sequence Everything Belongs, My Soul and Hold Up a Light in a row. Thank God Branch falls before Light, interrupting the worst stretch of their career.
I also feel like the chorus ruins the whole song of a branch in the river I was starting to worry they weren't as good at writing heavy songs until they dropped gnash
I have because of the lyrical content, but I still love that song regardless. I like the album overall though and would put Yellow Belly, Blur, and Anthology up there with Words in the Water for best songs on the album. The rest of the album is a batch of good songs to me, but I think the album is a bit too one-note for me where it’s a lot of loud, high energy alt rock songs for the most part and not as many mellow, moody stuff that they’re very capable of.
the hook is fine on branch, it shifts up the tonal center briefly and brings it back home with a lot of impact significantly more palatable than those on the grey / the dark for example
I'm not saying I love Branch, but I can at least tolerate it, especially when Riley changes the chorus drum pattern midway through the tune.
Yeah I can tolerate it too and I enjoy what Riley brings to the track. I just think it’s a pretty mid attempt at something heavy or gritty from a band whose entire career spanned better versions of that approach
They probably did at some point. Not my church anymore, but they were super seeker friendly and would pretty consistently play a lot of random songs.
Lyrically terrible to the point of being irredeemable. Instrumentally it’s . . . fine? Nowhere close to good enough to salvage it.
love branch in the river. musically, it feels like a sequel to the window that misses the mark towards the end. hoping the last 30 seconds of branch was heavier.
Gotta chime in with a Everything Belongs is so good. Palms as a whole is fine but I rarely reach for it over others. But that song is towards the top for me Also, Blur and Cataracts are massively underrated tracks on M/m. Like, those songs just absolutely go.