Review Summary: What Beggars lacks in the screaming, shredding, and head-banging department, it more than compensates with a stripped down, groove-oriented rock vehicle delivering the ever-haunting pipes of Dustin Kensrue.
With the release of Beggars, Thrice has officially quashed the hopes of all TIoS fanboys. Do not mourn, though, Thricers and Thricettes. What Beggars lacks in the screaming, shredding, and head-banging department, it more than compensates with a stripped down, groove-oriented rock vehicle delivering the ever-haunting pipes of Dustin Kensrue. Compared to The Alchemy Index, and even Vheissu, Beggars seems far less an attempt to create an album that fulfilled a narrow theme and mood, but is instead a cathartic jam session. Primarily self- recorded and produced, it feels …close, like they are strumming and crooning right in our living room. The simplicity in the production and lyrics make this album easily accessible and technically rock- solid.
All the World is Mad- More broadly condemning than Broken Lungs, All the World is Mad kicks off with Riley’s rolling drums and a prominent bass line and quickly takes off with lyrics that would be more at home on The Artist in the Ambulance. Every element of the song works to reinforce the title. Emotional subtleties in the voice of Kensrue leave the listener wondering whether he himself is mad. Shades of anger, sorrow, and pleading tinge the lyrics that lambast the worst in humanity: hypocrisy, greed, venom, and our sick attempt to think we can help any of it. This was obviously written after watching the five ‘o clock news. The songs ends despairingly with the knowledge that the path laid before us is already lost. Instrumentally, the song is calamitous, with constantly crashing cymbals and a dizzying guitar riff at times. (8/10)
The Weight- After that, a love song would be a nice change, wouldn’t it? The Weight is up tempo, with a bouncy drum and bass beat throughout. Thrice’s take on the idea that love is forever (have they seen divorce rates?), this song starts to show the divide between Vheissu/ TAI Thrice and this album. From the first listen, I was struck by an odd sensation; this song made me want to move. The guitars are lighter, and while Dustin lets loose in the chorus of the song, it is a cleaner scream than previous albums. Overall, the song is compelling and certainly one if their best ever. If I had musical talent …and a girlfriend, I would have no problem singing this to her. (10/10)
Circles- No, your Itunes did not just Genius you to the Air album of TAI. Circles is a dreamy song, repetitious, muted, ethereal. It features some of Kensrue’s most compelling singing to date. Despite the fact his voice varies so little, you are drawn in emotionally. Featuring an instrumental outro that accounts for nearly half the song, Circles deviates from the norm of Thrice songs, further alienating this album. Typical of Thrice- wisdom, this song reminds us that, if we aren’t paying attention, we can fool ourselves into thinking we have accomplished progression, when really we’ve just redressed what we’ve already done, as the last line so clearly tells us. The question is, then, has Beggars matched the vision, or has the vision become Beggars? (8/10)
Doublespeak- This song presented me with a problem. For the first time… a Thrice song had lost me. At first listen, this song was, well, annoying, possessing similar lyrical nuisances as Lost Continent on TAI (Do we really even want to know what’s going down? vs. I don’t want to know who really pulls the strings/). It wasn’t until I thought for a second that I was able to appreciate the vision of this song. If you have never read the novel 1984, well then, this song holds no value to you (I recommend you read it). Creative lyrics and peculiar artistic choices have me loving and hating this song at the same time. The jury is out for now. (Not sure/10)
In Exile- The influence of Christianity is routinely drug out to be argued when it comes to Dustin’s lyrics, but this song speaks undeniably to his belief (and high hopes) for the after life (My heart is filled with songs of forever/ a city that endures, where all is made new). Lyrically, it strikes me as Come All You Weary told from the point of view Dustin. In Exile features the best chorus since Stare at the Sun, and it is definitely one the highlight songs on this CD. (10/10)
At the Last- One of the heavier songs on Beggars, At The Last inverts the bright outlook of death by telling the story of a man at the end of his days looking back at his deeds. Though he is a good man, he realizes he has done nothing that matters, nothing that helps. So ask yourself, what have you done with your life? Musically, this song will be familiar to longtime Thrice fans. Alternating tempos and vocal styles that lull you into a crescendo hearken to the days of Vheissu. At the Last is another superlative track, and I expect this will be played live many times. (9/10)
Wood &Wire- Thrice’s propensity for taking a unique situation and making a song that is entertaining, meaningful and relatable is one of their greatest talents. The story of a (presumably) innocent death row inmate about to be executed, Wood & Wire brings the talk of the after life full circle from the last song, as the prisoner is totally at peace that he is going to a better place. The song is slow moving, almost torturously, as if it’s the song the inmate is singing on the way to the chair. The buildup makes the song all the more powerful as Dustin lets loose the last line, and what would be one morbidly sad song is altered into one of Thrice’s most uplifting. (8.5/10)
Talking Through Glass- The instruments are heavy, Dustin is belting out his best crackling yell, and a classic Thrice song is born. We can all relate to losing touch with someone you love, whether it’s a significant other, a parent, or God. The frustration of the situation is captured perfectly. (10/10)
The Great Exchange- Dustin the Storyteller strikes again. The mutinous crew throws the captain into the deadly waters, destroying the ship, and in true poetic irony, the narrator’s life is eventually saved by the captain he tried to kill. Jesus, anybody? The instruments take back seat to the vocals in this song, which capture the remorse and gratitude of the narrator. On any other CD, the story of mutiny on a ship would be fodder for furious fretwork (Senses Fail tried…). But the song is soothing, complete with recurring ooohs. Beautiful vocals with brilliant lyrics and perfectly scripted instrumentals make this my favorite song at this time. (10/10)
Beggars- The title track is a haunting reminder that in the end, we are all the same. Rich or poor, famous or nobody, such things are blind luck and make us no better than the beggars that we dismiss with clenched fists (listen: At The Last). The melancholic accompaniment creates this image in my head that Kensrue has a bottle of whiskey in his hand while he sings this. From the onset, it is eerily similar to TAI’s Digging My Own Grave (less denial and contrition, more mania). An enjoyable, yet superfluous outro diminishes the impact of the concluding line. We are beggars all. (8/10)
Some may be disappointed by the seeming lack of advancement by this album. Boundaries were not pushed, nor envelopes. Instead Beggars is an album that marks the progression of the men who make up Thrice. Marriages, children, and touring the world change people. What was once a priority now is cast to the back burner. The brutality of songs like Paper Tigers has given way to pure emotions that saturate every aspect of this album. The epic studio work done on Vheissu and TAI: Water has no place here. It’s different, sure, but so are Dustin, Ed, Teppei, and Riley.
What I really mean to say is, Beggars is just damn good.
