Average Rating: 3.70 Rating Variance: 0.36 Objectivity Score: 66% (Fairly Balanced)
Sort by: Rating | Release Date | Rating Date | Name4.5 superbThrice The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IVAlthough my wishes for a more consistent and focused Air are abound, I have to tip my hat way off for how much Earth makes up for it. It's conventional to it's influence, but brand friggin' new to the context of Thrice and what they do for it. They are displaying variety rather than creativity with this, but they vary so well that it's hard to not be floored by it. It's sincere and passionate in ways most groups can hardly come close to. If meandering off to insane new ground isn't enough, Thrice closes with a tune so destructively good, it must be stopped. Child of Dust is it for me. Thrice can stop if they wanted, they've justified their existence in spades.4.0 excellentFinch Say Hello to SunshineDespite the nauseating "Fireflies" I cannot recommend the album enough. It completely dismantles Finch's firm foundation and digs deep into the Earth to uncover something truly worth noting. Thrice The Alchemy Index Vols. I & III could write for hours about how much these guys get me goin. Buy them, buy them a lot...3.0 goodShiny Toy Guns Season of PoisonI found this album to be very enjoyable. It's more feverish and abrasive than We are Pilots, but it did a serviceable job of keeping my ears perked throughout many listens. I thought Sisley made a valid effort of infusing her edge into Shiny's sound; she's very effective at keeping up the energy and blasting you with all she's got. She can hold her own in slower tracks, but she isn't her strong point. For me, the album starts strong with "When did this storm begin" but dips down into the mediocre "Money" and "Owe" which have their moments, but ultimately stink of "filler". Then season picks back up with the excellent "Ghost Town" and remains consistently enjoyable throughout until the unacceptably flawed "Frozen Oceans". This song drew me in with a sublime verse-prechorus only to shatter it all to pieces with a lumbering, over-dramatic chorus that is both unconvincing and laughably corny. Afraid that this was Season's epic "ender" I was relieved to be treated to the very satisfying conclusion "A leading Edge". Having said that, this album is certainly inferior to Pilots, but that doesn't mean you should pass it up completely. I recommend to any die hard Shiny fans, and those who want a competent pop-tech-rock album to keep their ears busy for a few hours.Taking Back Sunday New AgainI absolutely regretted this purchase at first, but now it's gaining some validity through repeated listens. I'm not convinced about their "new band" thing, it still feels the same, albeit a tad altered. Although it's growing on me, I still can't help but feel like it's held back in some major ways. It seems TBS unknowingly played it safe for most of this outing and didn't give themselves any new ground to really glow on. They're at their best when the energy is high and emotions are raw and sincere rather than modest and bottled up. It's pleasurably watered down if anything (with it's respective ups and downs) but still makes me wish for an exclamation point to the whole thing.
Bands: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
