Review Summary: Technically proficient across the board, a balanced blend of complexity and simplicity, and passionately dense throughout, Thrice produce a timeless post-hardcore album.
The year is 2003. Post-hardcore mecca is alive and well, with Thrice’s second record
‘The Illusion of Safety’ garnering acclaim for its fast-paced, guitar-driven sound with intricate song structures, powerful vocals, and astute lyrics. Thrice would sign with Island Records and enter the studio with major label backing for the first time in their young career. Expectations were high, and Thrice delivered excellence.
‘The Artist in the Ambulance’ picks up where its predecessor left off; Thrice’s distinct lead guitar-heavy, fast, and sophisticated approach is on full display, with signs of collective progression shining through.
Album opener ‘Cold Cash and Colder Hearts’ wastes little time in blitzing the listener. Its vocal and rapid opening with a tight rhythm section screams vintage Thrice. While these classic components are splendidly executed, it’s the softer middle verse and string-section outro that showcase Thrice’s improved and polished dynamics. ‘Under A Killing Moon’ and ‘Blood Clots and Black Holes’ each play into Thrice’s established strengths: both riff-driven and visceral sub-three minute tunes perfectly held together with the Breckenridge brothers rhythm section. ‘The Abolition of Man’ follows a similar formula. Vocalist Dustin Kensrue delivers a momentous performance with forceful lyrics throughout, and the melodic breakdown at the song’s conclusion stands as an album highlight.
Though
‘The Artist in the Ambulance’ broadly features Thrice’s trademark emphatic complexity, it’s the simpler moments that showcase the quartet’s maturation. First single ‘All That’s Left’ and ‘The Artist in the Ambulance’ are straightforward rockers built on little more than a simple riff and a melodic lead. The slightly slower tempos allow Kensrue’s lyrics to ring deeply, especially on the title track - a staple in the group’s discography. ‘Stare At The Sun’ is as close to a ballad present on the record, and what it may lack in intricacy it more than makes up for with superb songwriting and emotional density. It’s in contention with the title track for being one of lead-guitarist Teppei Teranishi’s more straightforward yet most memorable riffs on the album. The song, most significantly, shows the group’s cohesiveness at a new peak.
There’s no doubt when album closer ‘Don’t Tell and We Won’t Ask’ concludes that Thrice delivered an impeccably crafted record.
‘The Artist in the Ambulance’ perfectly epitomizes Thrice’s earlier years; it’s elaborate and aggressive when it needs to be, straightforward and tranquil in the right places, and emotionally moving throughout. Above all,
‘The Artist in the Ambulance’ is a commanding record that’s as robust as it is timeless.
