This is my first ministry position, full-time/benefited and such. It's the most exhausting, frustrating, bewildering, and rewarding experience. Seven years of schooling, undergrad, and seminary work could not not have prepared me. 1 Corinthians 13:12. Chapter 13 is also my favorite passage. I tend to connect with Kensrue's lyricism. There are days when I connect better with Jesse Lacey, and others that I'm more Kensrue. It's my music ebb and flow.
I'm with you 1000%. My best friend just got married and as the wedding favor, I and another groomsman gave everyone a CD where we'd recorded covers of "Promises" and "Anthology." Also, the bride's walking-up-the-aisle song was DK's "Of Crows and Crowns" and the couple's exit song was "Back to Back."
Speaking of Major/Minor, I do love that album; definitely not my favorite by them though. My only gripe about it is Yellow Belly. It doesn't start off with a furious bang, or a slow build up, or a large atmospheric piece; it's just "there". Especially when they play it live(to open with even), nothing happens. I don't dislike the song and I think the chorus is great. As I listen to it now I'm enjoying it. Just not my favorite I guess.
"Yellow Belly" is my favorite on the album and a top tier heavy Thrice song for me personally. Love it.
I appreciate your long and thoughtful response. I'll start off by pointing out what we agree on. I too am looking forward to whatever's next and whatever experimentation might be made on TBEITBN. I love how the band has experimented over time, I love the changes from record to record, and I wish the band would've been allowed more freedom on TAITA. Concerning the weaknesses of M/m, the lyrics of "Call it in the Air" are awfully lackluster and annoyingly repetitive. While that's the only song I don't like lyrically, I may be biased towards the rest of the album in that I agree with Kensrue point for point philosophically. I'll even admit that I prefer listening to an abridged version of the album that cuts out "Yellow Belly," "Call it in the Air" and "Listen Through Me." And while I was not at all trying to say that prior Thrice albums are devoid of confidence, I do stand by my words that M/m is the band's most confident work. They went in knowing exactly what they were doing; they loved what they accomplished on Beggars and didn't want to experiment or push boundaries in any way that would take them far away from that sound. I also think Alchemy is the least confident of their albums, taking apart the pieces of Vheissu instead of actually making any leaps forward. This made for some of Thrice's best songs, some of their worst, but an overall formulaic work. Everything on Alchemy had already been heard in some form, between TAITA, Vheissu, and Please Come Home, with songs like "Daedalus" and "The Whaler" functioning as direct sequels to "The Melting Point of Wax" and "Atlantic," respectively. We'd even heard all the elements discussed on Vheissu, from "Red SKY" and "The EARTH Will Shake" to "Atlantic" and "Like Moths to FLAME." So no, I don't think Alchemy was a very confident release. They weren't confident to allow Island Records to use the 25th song as a single and they weren't confident enough to release all 24 songs at once. I prefer Identity Crisis over Alchemy, honestly.
It's interesting that you're not a fan of Yellow Belly. I think that's one of the stronger songs on the album. In regards to The Alchemy Index, I think they just expanded on a lot of the territory they were treading upon with Vheissu as opposed to trying out completely new things. If Vheissu was the band dipping their toes into experimenting with their sound, The Alchemy Index was taking the full plunge. I think they were confident about the whole release though. I think Riley was talking about it with Jason and Drew back when he was on the podcast a few years ago. I recall him saying that they sent the songs to Island and Island didn't like them and the band said they weren't going to change them because it was something they really wanted to do at the time, and so they found a new home with Vagrant. I also think them self-recording the album and taking 100% control of the creative direction shows that confidence as well. I'll agree that The Alchemy Index bred a few lackluster songs, but I think it also bred a large handful of really great ones. I'd take The Alchemy Index over much of this band's discography because, as I've said beforen I think they started writing some really interesting music especially on Air but I think they did a great job at expanding their sound on Fire and Water as well. Earth is the only one that doesn't compare as well as the other ones but I still enjoy it.
I think saying it's "just 'there'" undersells it quite a bit. "Immediate" is the word I would use to describe it, and I love it.
Right. A handful of those TAI tracks are quite a bit more well written than anything they else theyve done imo. Some of the more affecting melodies feel more influenced by chamber music and folk, a little more high brow forgive me. Im just looking at a track like Child of Dust from a melodic standpoint and blown away by its beauty Im only into I think 4 tracks on Vheissu now. Dust and Nations still melts my face
Of Dust And Nations is still one of my favorite songs they've written and one of my favorites for sure
According to Amazon UK Thrice will release "To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere" on May 27th. I've included the track list below. I'm assuming there will be a new song/announcement tonight or tomorrow. 1. Hurricane 2. Blood On The Sand 3. The Window 4. Wake Up 5. The Long Defeat 6. Seneca 7. Black Honey 8. Stay With Me 9. Death From Above 10. Whistleblower 11. Salt And Shadow
You know what this means? They are about to start taking pre-orders and maybe the first song comes Friday? :O
just thinking about what that week is going to be like is exciting. Then im seeing Brand New like the next week. This summer will rule.
Someone said, somewhere, that the single is due the second week of April. I hope that's not the case. Hoping for today or tomorrow.
Just listened to Vheissu for the first time in a long time. Thrice always gives me this feeling like I'm soul searching and I love it.