A City By The Light Divided

[cbmartinez]

Since I know we have some Thursday fans in here, I'd like to hear your thoughts on the new album. Here are my thoughts:

First off, they definitely are no longer making the music they did on Full Collapse. But just because the sound is new and different doesn't make it band and A City By The Light Divided proves that. When compared to Full Collapse, this album seems like a totally different band. Full Collapse was a very intimate, personal, soft album. A City By The Light Divded has a huge, grandoise, and epic feel to it, almost as if the songs were meant to be played in a stadium. I think this change in sound can be attributed to the band really stepping up and realizing that "Hey, we're Thursday," especially Geoff. The sound is very up front and in your face, like I said it's very big sounding. I think they realized that they knew what they wanted to do and they weren't going to let anyone hold them back. Geoff's voice soars over the music compared to the soft whispers of Full Collapse. Much of the music is fast paced and relentless, with the bass and drums pounding away. On War All The Time, I think Thursday were concerned with trying to please both a label and fans and got caught up in meet expectations. A City By The Light Divided returns to the classic Thursday assertion to make music that means alot to them. And although it doesn't sound like Full Collapse, it's certainly on the same level in many ways.

My only complaints are the lack of screaming. I always think Thursday pulled off screaming very well and I think some parts of the album would sound better with it. I also think that anyway that you look at it, this album is way overproduced. But that's okay because a) it's Island b) in order to achieve the sound they wanted, they needed overproduction to make that huge sound. I think the CD is split between the more fast paced anthemy songs like "The Other Side Of The Crash," "Into The Blinding Light" and "Counting 5-4-3-2-1" and the darker, more brooding songs like "The Lovesong Writer," "Sugar In The Sacrament" and "Autumn Leaves Revisited." I think the latter songs tend to be more powerful although the former never fail to get you moving and touch you in a different way. "At This Velocity" is actually a seemingly perfect blend of fast paced energy and dark screams and lyrics, making it one of the best tracks on the album. I think the songs can tend to sound the same at points i.e. the ending of "Into The Blinding Light" is reminscent of "Counting 5-4-3-2-1." Also, the keyboard is very awkward at points. I understand they wanted to work Andrew in but the keyboard doesn't really fit and often gives the songs a more rock feel. The guitar interplay is definitely no where near the complexity of Full Collapse and although it's nice at a couple points, I think it definitely lacks on this album.

So overall, a very different but very good album. Full Collapse is my favorite CD of all time and of course I'd love to see them go back to that. But the point is they've changed but reinvented themselves in a way that is delightfully suprising.

8/10

Best Tracks: Running From The Rain, The Lovesong Writer, We Will Overcome, At This Velocity

So what are your thoughts?

[whiteminority]

Good album, much better than War All The Time. :thumb:

[ToWhatEnd]

Good album, much better than War All The Time.

Agreed, like the sound of the new album.

[Let's Chop Cats!]

Still doesn't top FC or Waiting. Good album though, I only listen to it though when I'm in more of a calm/non-energetic mood. The demo versions of the songs were better than they final version me thinks despite the lack of recording quality. for somereason also I'm not into the lyrics so much.

At This Velocity
Telegraph Avenue Kiss
Autumn Leaves Revisted

[cobert]

The guitar interplay is definitely no where near the complexity of Full Collapse and although it's nice at a couple points, I think it definitely lacks on this album.

I thought the same thing while listening. I heard one of the guitarist once explain that if you were to play one of thursday's guitar parts on guitar, it would sound awkward because both parts are written together and 'push and tug' on each other. I didn't feel like anywhere on this album that could really be said. I too felt tha blum was waaaay overproduced. The lack of screaming wasn't that bad though, it's better the way it is, in my opinion. If they put more screaming in it, it would seem really forced, as if they put more in because they had to and not because they wanted to. Best songs are "We Will Overcome", "Telegraphe Avenue Kiss", and "At This Velocity". It's about good as WATT, but is definitely not as good as full collapse or waiting.

[deadohiosky9]

This album is lacking in some areas for me. It does not compare to Full Collapse or WATT (yeah I know no one likes this album but me). I don't think its a very solid album and sounds very overproduced in some areas. I enjoyed their past efforts much more, but as Chris said; this is a whole different approach from them. The album definitely has its strong points with songs like At This Velocity, Sugar In The Sacrament (love the singing in that one), Telegraph Avenue Kiss, Lovesong Writer, and Autumn Leaves Revisited. The others I feel are a bit weak. Overall, this album is mediocre with few above average parts. It lacks the intensity of previous efforts, to me at least.

7.3/10

[cobert]

This album is lacking in some areas for me. It does not compare to Full Collapse or WATT (yeah I know no one likes this album but me). I don't think its a very solid album and sounds very overproduced in some areas. I enjoyed their past efforts much more, but as Chris said; this is a whole different approach from them. The album definitely has its strong points with songs like At This Velocity, Sugar In The Sacrament (love the singing in that one), Telegraph Avenue Kiss, Lovesong Writer, and Autumn Leaves Revisited. The others I feel are a bit weak. Overall, this album is mediocre with few above average parts. It lacks the intensity of previous efforts, to me at least.

7.3/10

I love War All The Time, just not as much as all of the others.

[deadohiosky9]

I like Full Collapse more, and haven't really listened to Waiting that much. But WATT is damn good.

[kingdead]

The demos of Telegraph Avenue and Autumn Leaves are two of the best songs Thursday have ever recorded.

[deadohiosky9]

Demos were definitely better than the songs on the record.

[cbmartinez]

"Sugar In The Sacrament" is actually one of the best tracks. Awesome song. I really dig the first track too even though they kinda play out the whole silent buildup thing halfway through the song.

One more thing that I'm kinda undecided on is the whole generic, epic progression thing they have going on. They use alot of the 3-5-7, 3-5-0, 0-8-3, you know progressions that give you that really epic feel. I think they kinda lost some of the innovativeness by using those progressions so much yet they used them for a reason, they sound ****ing great. So I'm not complaining that much.

[deadohiosky9]

Sugar in the Sacrament owns. I agree that they have lost some innovative techniques on this album, but its not too bad.

[Left Shoe]

full collapse > waiting > a city by the light > war all the time

not to say war all the time is bad, i definitley enjoy that album

[santi3hg]

Demos were definitely better than the songs on the record.

Agreed.

Btw anyone heard those songs from a show at CBGB's in August. They played two songs live from the new record, but aren't featured on the album. So I'm guessing those b-sides. But from the live show, the songs aounded great. Kinda upset they didn't make it on the album.

[cbmartinez]

The B-side to this album from the vinyl is really neat too.

[cobert]

The B-side to this album from the vinyl is really neat too.

Oh, well now you're just rubbing it in the face of the people that dont have it.

:p

[deadohiosky9]

Chris thinks he's cool now that he some limited slab of colored wax. Whatever.

+ 1,000 scene points.

[Let's Chop Cats!]

Have the b-side tracks leaked yet?

[santi3hg]

Well if you have the CBGB recording performance. Theres two supposed B-Sides, which means I have it in mp3 format. Just its a live recording...so yeah.

[Lazybassplr56]

It's a solid album.

[Luxor]

Haven't heard the new album but all their other ones are killer. I'll try and get my hands on it sometime soon.

[whiteminority]

The B-side to this album from the vinyl is really neat too.
That is the 7" red vinyl that came as part of the pre-order right? I know the B-side is supposed to be a limited track. I am waiting for this album to be released as an LP though.

[Damrod]

Solid album, though I have to agree with most of the folks here, Full Collapse still has the best balance of all the elements: Screaming, instrumentation, emotion, clear vocals... it was just a darn good balance of all.

So far I'm most impressed by "Sugar in the Sacrament". Overall I did not notice the absence of screaming that much, but that again I have not listened to the album that much yet

[cbmartinez]

I can give the b-side to anyone who wants it. I actually pre-ordered to late and missed the vinyl deal but I have an mp3 of the b-side.

Im me.

[whiteminority]

I'll take it off you Chris.

[santi3hg]

If you don't mind either martinez, I'll be Iming you later too. Btw anyone here lives in England and bought the record. Supposedly they got two b-sides or something like that.

[Truteno]

A city by the light divided was an amazing album and some people complain about the production of the album but i thought it made the album even rougher then before and it made an amazing sound for all the songs especially Into the blinding light. Also you shouldn't compare albums in bands because bands will grow and evolve and if every album sounded the same it would get old really quickly.

Recommendation songs: Into the blinding light, autumn leaves revisited and at this velocity.

[Truteno]

also download "even the sand is made of sea shells", its from the 7" you could have gotten from pre-ordering the record on Tower records. its one amazing song.

[bottlerocket]

This thread is almost a year old.

[Let's Chop Cats!]

and the album is still pretty boring.

[cbmartinez]

It's okay.

[Left Shoe]

and the album is still pretty boring.

yep

[santi3hg]

They left Island Def Jam. I'm thinking cause their sales were piss poor and not to many people liked it.

[cobert]

I liked it. Some really tight jamz on there, especially Autumn Leaves Revisited.

[Luxor]

I like it.

[SunnyDayRealEstateAM]

It's okay. I don't listen to it anymore but its a good album.

[whiteminority]

I can't really complain about it. It was still better than most albums from last year, just weak for Thursday.

[srt-4]

i think it is amazing, just maybe not quite as amazing as their other stuff. they are taking the whole rest of the year off to make a new album. i can't wait.

[Let's Chop Cats!]

Only Thursday needs 9 months to churn out another mediocre album.

[srt-4]

that thursday hating is not acceptable

[whiteminority]

Only Thursday needs 9 months to churn out another mediocre album.

*cough*PoisonTheWell*cough*

[SunnyDayRealEstateAM]

More like 3 years for Poison The Well. New album is really boring.

[CommieCanada]

this album was tits.

i really think war all the time gets a bad rap though and i dont understand why. I have been a thursday fan forever and i own all their albums of course and i really think that i like war all the time better than full collapse and waiting, and a city by the light divided. I know i am the only one though

[cobert]

Yeah, youre the only one.

[santi3hg]

No ****, I think WATT was amazing. I liked it way better than all of their other stuff.

[cobert]

Well I guess I was wrong.

After all this time and new music, Full Collapse is still my favorite album ever.

[cbmartinez]

Same.

A City is good, but it's not the Thursday I know.

[santi3hg]

Well to quote Geoff

"We wanted to be the coolest indie band out there"

So I guess with A City By the Light, they tried being more indiesh.

But the days of Full Collapse and WATT are wayyy over.

[cbmartinez]

At least they didn't overproduce the **** out of it (see: War All The Time). But I don't think this album sounds more indie than FC.

[santi3hg]

I think they deff tried hard to, especially with the production.

Currently listening to Wind Up.

[cbmartinez]

Great song.

[CommieCanada]

i dunno man ACBTLD was a hell of a lot more overproduced than watt. watt has a lot more character than a city... does imo. a city sounds like they are trying way to hard to get that huge epic feel. watt has a lot more depth lyrically and a lot more emotion.

i dunno im stoned

[Let's Chop Cats!]

Speaking of overproduction, they auto-tunned the **** out of geoff's voice the first few records.

[Truteno]

Geoff has gotten alot better in singing live tho, if u listen to any really old recording he was horrible live. I just say them in the chance in poughkeepsie acouple months back and his voice has gotten sooooo much better.

[bottlerocket]

Speaking of overproduction, they auto-tunned the **** out of geoff's voice the first few records.

lol I was waiting for someone to mention that.

[SGlove]

this album was tits.

i really think war all the time gets a bad rap though and i dont understand why. I have been a thursday fan forever and i own all their albums of course and i really think that i like war all the time better than full collapse and waiting, and a city by the light divided. I know i am the only one though

Nope.
I agree with you.
I prefer Waiting to Full Collapse as well.
Dunno why, can't put my finger on it.

[cobert]

Waiting is just absolutely busting at the seams with emotion.

[cbmartinez]

Not really. It's pretty bad. The grainy production takes alot away and Geoff's voice is too weak.

And as far as Geoff not being able to sing, he has gotten better. And I don't think he's singing is what made Thursday as much as his vocal delivery.

[santi3hg]

And I don't think he's singing is what made Thursday as much as his vocal delivery.

Yes, very very true.

[srt-4]

Waiting is just absolutely busting at the seams with emotion.
i agree. the emotion on that album is what makes it amazing. and i think the quality of the recording fits the character of the album perfectly.

[DFelon204409]

So I wanted to hear "Sugar in the Sacrament," so I clicked it and forgot I was listening and left it on and listened to all of Five Stories Falling and then Full Collapse. I think when I perked up was hearing the overwhelming emotional outburst in the live performance. Then I stopped working on the paper I've been working on and started freaking out and getting really excited about Thursday and just rocked out to Full Collapse. The emotion on that album just feels so authentic and gut-wrenching. ACBTLD can't touch that but it's definitely a great reason for a lot of the reasons cb mentioned. The grandness is appropriate at this stage in the game. Apparently, their new album is going to be a lot more indie/subdued. I look forward to whatever but Full Collapse will always have a special place.

[cobert]

Not really. It's pretty bad. The grainy production takes alot away and Geoff's voice is too weak.

And as far as Geoff not being able to sing, he has gotten better. And I don't think he's singing is what made Thursday as much as his vocal delivery.

Pfft, Waiting is awesome.

I agree with the second statement though. Geoff has never been a good singer, but its not about that.

[cbmartinez]

So I wanted to hear "Sugar in the Sacrament," so I clicked it and forgot I was listening and left it on and listened to all of Five Stories Falling and then Full Collapse. I think when I perked up was hearing the overwhelming emotional outburst in the live performance. Then I stopped working on the paper I've been working on and started freaking out and getting really excited about Thursday and just rocked out to Full Collapse. The emotion on that album just feels so authentic and gut-wrenching. ACBTLD can't touch that but it's definitely a great reason for a lot of the reasons cb mentioned. The grandness is appropriate at this stage in the game. Apparently, their new album is going to be a lot more indie/subdued. I look forward to whatever but Full Collapse will always have a special place.

Good to hear. Full Collapse always does that to me.