Condensed thoughts on the whole album...
Hurricane After hearing the preview, I was not expecting a mellow strummy song! The tambourine and soft drums are a nice touch. Dustin is really reminding me of Manchester Orchestra. And I’ve been humming it to my son at bedtime since the teaser.
There are some chord progressions around the 3 minute mark that I don’t think flow well together, and I’d probably have scrapped if I had any influence during the writing process. It feels a little off to me.
The Window OMFG EDDIE YESSS. I love the vocal effects. I love the rhythm. I love it all.
There’s nowhere to hide / be terrified / it’s all inside of your head. I’m loving the build at the end. Solid song!
Wake Up Smooth transition straight into this song. Dustin’s voice sounds so much like his solo work. We saw him live in Salt Lake last fall at a really intimate, small show. And I’m getting huge nostalgia for standing 10 feet away from him while he belts into the microphone and plays his guitar. Tomorrow’s song is a siren singing such a sweet and subtle lullaby. I could see this song making it to the live setlists. It’s got the energy for swaying arms and punchy bass, which I think the fans would go wild about. Omg here comes Riley with these steady building drums. Omg what is happening. Oh! It crashed straight into another chorus. Mm. That was a fantastic climax at the end.
The Long Defeat I love the soft build into the intro here. Clean drums from Riley again, and beautiful guitars. I think I would have taken a different direction on bass, but the harmony here is still working for me.
I’m enjoying the lyrics here, and the melody at 1:16 is just lovely. While I don’t yet think this is one of the stronger tracks on the album, I absolutely love what I’ve heard of the lyrics so far, and I can absolutely see this in the setlists as well. It’s beautiful and Dustin’s voice is so tender. This is something I’d have expected to hear at one of his solo shows, so I will genuinely be surprised if it’s not in the show. I know this will grow on me. I love the distorted outro and vibrating thrumming.
Seneca OMG IT IS BEAUTIFUL. IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL. 20 seconds in, and it’s still building. I could listen to this all day. ALL DAY. It actually reminds me a lot of the soft tunes you hear by The XX. A+ for me and I wish it was more than a minute long.
Stay With Me It’s strong, yet sweet. If you’re in love with Major/Minor, I think you’ll love this. Dustin’s voice is dancing with the guitars, here.
Would you stay with me? / If you thought the war was over / And everything made right / Would you still believe in us? / Would your love for me grow colder / With no one left to fight / Would you stay with me? / Would you stay with me? I love the drums after the chorus. Strong ending.
Whistleblower It immediately feels like Of Dust And Nations part 2. Dustin is shouting and angry, and it’s so fitting for a song in the name of Edward Snowden!
It gets less in-your-face, until about 2:40 when it turns almost into a Brand New song with chaotic distortion and strong bass. My favorite part of the song was the intro.
Salt and Shadow Oh, this opening tune is lovely. Dustin comes in and sounds like The Beatles with the echo on the vocals and the hippie lyrics ;) Sky took it’s cue, every color and hue on display / Til thick veils of indigo signal the end of the day
This song is very mellow. I’m getting chills. I didn’t expect this kind of a song on the album. I’m struggling to think of another Thrice song this sounds like. I suppose the guitars might sound a bit like Alchemy Index – Air. But the vocals and effects are so different. The ambience of the vocals around the 2 minute mark is making me think of Alchemy Index – Water.
OMG IT’S HURRICANE AT THE END. I thought it was going to be at the end of the album!!! I was not expecting that - it flows SO WELL.
It fades to silence... slowly... slowlyyyyyyy, and then you’re punched in the face by –
Blood on the Sand This is exactly what I wanted to hear out of Thrice. This and Death From Above are EASILY my favorites from the entire album. No doubt about that. Some people have whined about how political the lyrics are with the singles, but I love it. I absolutely love it. I love the directness of pushing for us to take responsibility for our actions and the consequences.
It fades into Black Honey, and I think they fit very well together in succession.
Black Honey I was so confused at this song for a while, perhaps the first 2-3 listens... The first time I heard it, I was confused by the lyrics, but in love with the music itself. And then it hit me… this song is about our exploitation of the Middle East, our demand for their oil [black honey], and the wars that we’ve created. And there is more that can be inferred about lyrics like cutting the branch off the cherry tree, for example. Anyway. We justify our actions in the middle east because we need their oil. The chorus nails our guiltless attitude about it perfectly. Our actions have BIG consequences, and we need to significantly change the way we interact with other countries for the sake of our future generations. But I do what I want / I do what I please / I do it again til I got what I need < this attitude will be our downfall.
Death From Above Probably my favorite song on the album. Absolute 10/10 for me. I’d already decided this when they released the song the other day. The lyrics give me CHILLS. It’s about drone strikes and how there is no mercy for the innocent lives caught in the middle.
The chorus punches you in the face with with the same fierceness that grabbed me in Vheissu. The guitars are heavy and fast, the drums crash and Riley is really going at it during several parts here. I love the pretty way it slows down, and it reminded me a little of Major/Minor. Dustin’s voice is GORGEOUS here.
I could listen to this song a million times, and I’m sure I will, without tiring of it. It’s just beautiful and so direct. I love it as the finisher to the album!
OVERALL: A solid 9/10 for me, and I’m sure as I listen to this album obsessively over the next year, it’s going to become a complete 10/10. It’s everything I hoped this album would be. It’s well-rounded, it’s beautiful, it still sounds like Thrice. I cannot wait to see these songs live!