Review Summary: A solid, yet underwhelming return.
Ask anyone familiar with this band, and they will all tell you that there is no band quite like Thrice. From the raw aggressive beginnings of Identity Crisis and The Illusion of Safety, to the heavy atmospheres from sweeping electronic soundscapes brought by the Alchemy Index, no one can accuse Thrice of a lack of ambition. Until now at least.
Now it's understandable that Thrice would purposely create a safe album to reconcile some of their older fans from their five year absense, as well as widen their fanbase, and while there's nothing inherently bad about To be Everywhere is To be Nowhere, it's less than what we've come to expect from the 'Radiohead of heavy music.' It was expected that upon returning Thrice will have lessened the punch that their music used to contain, as all the members are nearing 40, and this isn't really the problem with this album in the slightest, because as 2009's Beggars proved, a lack of aggression doesn't have to take away from the quality of the music, rather the problem is their lean towards the mainstream. More accessible leanings can prove to be fatal to band (a la post 2002 Mudvayne, Post hiatus Fall out Boy, etc) but if well executed it can simply represent a change in the band's sound, not quality (the current incarnation of Katatonia). Most fans probably never expected a new Thrice single to rule the airwaves in 2016, but alas second single Black Honey does just that, eventually being overplayed to the point that it would unsurprising to see it on the latest volume of Kidz Bop. When it comes down to it the main issue that bogs down this album's potential is an overall lack of ambition to evolve their sound, leaving this album to Essentially be a second rate Major/Minor, as virtually no new ideas are brought to the table, except perhaps even more radio accessibility.
But despite the unmet potential of this album, if you happened to read the review summary, this is a positive review.
If out of context of the bands back discography, this album is a nearly perfectly executed alternative rock album, containing next to no filler or truly mediocre tracks. Tracks such as opener Hurricane and the Long Defeat prove that even if there is no longer any sense of experimentation, Thrice is going to do a damn good job of writing accessible radio friendly rock, that blows any other mainstream rock band out of the water. A lack of electronic elements would put a casual listener under the impression that great atmospheres would be almost entirely absent, but while there is no heavy, beautiful, and occasionally overwhelming atmospheres that were brought by their middle discography, the atmospheres Thrice has come to be known for are very present. This album is full of little moments that harken back to their glory days, that not only add to the overall experience, but also insure that the character still remains. First single Blood on the Sand contains one of these few moments, producing some of the most aggressive shouts heard since the Fire volume of the Alchemy Index, and while slightly bogged down by very unsubtle political aimed lyrics, it is bound to the be THAT song from this album, not necessarily the best, due to a very standard song structure as well as accessibility, but the song that you use to introduce someone to this album, or possibly the first song that comes to mind when thinking back to this album in the future. Track 4, unoriginally titled Wake Up, has without a doubt conjured the most hate, due to a rather weak chorus, sounding almost exactly as if it were ripped from a mediocre band of the dreaded 'post-grunge' genre. While easily being the biggest dud on the album, it by no means deserves to be tossed aside, because its verses certainly exceed anything that can be heard on any given radio station.
Another point that deserves to be mentioned is that Thrice have grown out of the need for each and every song to be heavily guitar driven, because while admittedly musically this album fails to impress, it proves that their reliance on interesting guitar leads is no longer necessary to write an affective song. Another of the many moments in this album is the instrumentally focused outro of The Long Defeat, leading effortlessly into the minute long interlude that is Seneca. Easily the strongest moment of this album is the six minute closer, an aspect in which Thrice never disappoint. Salt and Shadow is one of, if not the strongest closer Thrice have ever written, proving that even in their current accessible incarnation, they are still more than the average band.
Although this album doesn't represent any sonic evolution for the band, one rather significant change is in the form of the vocalist, Dustin Kensrue. Although not apparently better or worse, Kensrue's vocals have undeniably aged. He sounds if in the years off from Thrice he started smoking heavily making his vocals occasionally resemble Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons, and unfortunately, to a certain extent, Chad Kroeger. While this sounds as if the vocals would hurt the overall experience, being in the context of the music makes these comparisons relativity limited.
Fans expecting a return to their Post Hardcore edge of albums such as The Artist in the Ambulance, or the beautifully crafted atmospheres of Vheissu, will be disappointed in To be Everywhere is to Be Nowhere, but it is bound to satisfy anyone expecting simply a new Thrice album in the same vein as their last two releases. This album marks a return for arguably Post Hardcore's most dynamic group, hopefully signifying that a more ambitious futures isn't out of the question.
