Review Summary: Thrice continue to walk the tightrope of perfection
In a way it's only natural to want and expect some sort of sonic evolution in a new Thrice album, but if one looks at their output as a whole, the differences between each of their seven albums aren't the giant experimental steps that so often get mentioned when describing the middle of their discography. Instead it's more of a different approach and refinement of what came before.
Vheissu had its roots in the slick production and dark mood of
The Artist in the Ambulance,
The Alchemy Indexes expounded on flushing out the possibilities opened up by
Vheissu, and
Beggars owed its soul to the second volume of the
Alchemy Indexes. That same trend continues on
Major/Minor. At its core, the sound is unmistakably Thrice.
Major/Minor sees Thrice responding to aching minimalist undertones of
Beggars, as musically it is very similar to its predecessor, but where
Beggars was at its strongest at its most secluded moments,
Major/Minor is an extroverted experience. They are no longer searching inward but projecting outward, like a light leading back from the darkness that ended
Beggars.
Leading the charge is Dustin Kensrue. Since finding the beauty in the softer side of his voice during the recording of
Vheissu, Thrice lost a little bit of the commanding presence that so defined their earlier work, but on
Major/Minor he has rekindled a little bit of the power that came with his distinctive rasp which, in turn, makes for his most impassioned vocal performance since
The Artist in the Ambulance. That doesn't mean that he's back bullying the microphone, though. He cleverly and precisely balances his two halves, with songs like the distraught and pleading “Words in the Water” making the best of his later era refinements. The rest of the band step up to the challenge as musically they breathe new life in the the heavy blues groove that was found on
Beggars, not only thickening its sound but making it more vibrant by focusing just as much on melody as on atmosphere. One only needs to look at
Major/Minor's stand out track “Anthology”, which combines all the playful guitar work of songs like “Of Dust and Nations” and “The Artist in the Ambulance” with the more straightforward approach of the later half of their career, creating a song that truly lives up to its name. Furthermore, “Anthology” encapsulates
Major/Minor as a whole as there are moments all throughout it that harken back to the best of Thrice's past.
Major/Minor is just another testament to Thrice's ability to do no wrong. It's no surprise, really. They are continuing to evolve and mature, all the while still being true to what made so many fall in love with them in the first place. What more could we ask for?
