Review by Billy Geary

Much has been said about alternative rock band Thrice’s ability to write and record consistently excellent albums, whilst managing to reinvent themselves at every opportunity. In fact, it could be argued that Thrice have created defining albums across a number of different genres, which by no means an easy feat. Oddly enough, the band’s latest output Major/Minor is their most surprising to date; not because they changed styles completely but instead

because it is essentially the natural progression of their previous record, Beggars. Because of this, Major/Minor is perhaps Thrice’s most significant record to date in both quality and in relation to their back catalogue.

Gone are the days of Dustin Kensrue’s screamed vocals and Teppei Teranishi’s jarring guitar riffs and, as with Beggars, in their place are some of the most beautiful melodies Thrice have ever put together. The driving ‘Yellow Belly’ harks back to Thrice’s earlier days with its grittiness standing out effortlessly, while the mellower ‘Words In the Water’ brings Kensrue’s solo career to mind. Elsewhere, there are reminders of parts of The Alchemy Index, while ‘Blur’ instantly brings Vhiessu to mind with its soft/heavy structure and dense atmosphere.

Combining atmosphere with emotion has never been a problem for Thrice and is further displayed by the very upbeat ‘Anthology,’ perhaps the standout track of the album. Kensrue’s impassioned vocals are the standout, whilst Teranishi’ guitar work is nothing short of excellent, helping carry Kensrue’s voice through the song. Similarly, blues influenced ‘Treading Paper’ is an extension of the heavy blues dabbled in with Beggars, only furthering the notion that Thrice could play any genre and it would sound good.

Major/Minor represents a band that is perfectly content with who they are and what they represent. Rather than being a remake of Beggars, Major/Minor perhaps is the culmination of Thrice’s sound as a whole, with different parts of songs reminding the listener of previous records. Major/Minor really is an outstanding collection of songs and, with the news of their recent hiatus; it’d be a hell of a record to finish up with.

Review by Billy Geary

Thrice – Words In The Water (Polaris At Noon Remix) – Free Download by Vagrant Records