Review Summary: Thrice's twilight...
Few bands have evolved as much as Thrice throughout their careers. Starting out as a post hardcore band that didn't do much but show some above average musicianship than the other bands in their genre, this quartet from California transformed themselves through experimentation, becoming something of a ‘heavier Radiohead’. Unfortunately the band decided to end their activities in 2012, and left us with ‘Major/Minor’ as their swan song.
Musically this record travels through many of Thrice’s facets; “Yellow Belly”, with its heavy guitar riffs and big chorus sounds like a merger between some of the sounds seen in Vheeisu and Beggars; “Blur” has kind of an Artist In The Ambulance vibe, and “Words In The Water” reminds of moments from The Alchemy Index. All of this revisiting of the past gives Major/Minor kind of a “Goodbye” vibe that can’t be shaken off, but the compositions showcased in it are so great that these songs can stand on their own, and don’t feel like more of the same.
As usually, Dustin excels as a lyricist; throughout the record these are the most religious lyrics that I’ve seen him deliver with Thrice, and serves as a hint to the direction he’d be taking after the band called it quits. I’m not at all religious and I don’t actually enjoy Worship Music, but Dustin manages to write about faith in such a way that his metaphor filled words can be interpreted in many ways besides the religious connotation and that’s why it works so well. A few of the standout lyrics surely are “Promises”, which is almost “The Weight Pt. II” as it touches on the subject of marriage and its responsibilities in a critic way that most of us don’t really put our efforts in keeping our vows of undying love; “Treading Paper” revolves around the questioning of a greater meaning to life and everything and “Anthology” in which Dustin references a plethora of lyrics from songs released in different moments of Thrice’s career. For a fan, Anthology’s lyrics are a beautiful, yet sad thing to analyze.
Listening to Major/Minor is like watching a beautiful sunset on a summer day in which you had so much fun. It’s an incredible way to end that day, but still, it’s bittersweet in nature.
Standout Tracks
Yellow Belly
Promises
Treading Paper
Words in The Water
Anthology
