Thrice – The Alchemy Index: Volumes 3 & 4

I’ve never liked Thrice. Every one of my reviews about them start that way. A few songs here and there were enjoyable, like Image Of The Invisible, Open Water, Stare At The Sun and Deadbolts but I could never get into them and apart from their acoustic release of If Only They Could See Us Now, no record from Thrice has ever received multiple playbacks from me. The idea behind The Alchemy Indexseries intrigued me however. Four discs, each with six songs based on the four different elements. It was a novel idea and Volumes 1 and 2 were impressive. It failed to change my idea about the band but the stark contrast between the fire and water discs was definitely noteworthy. Now, however, on The Alchemy Index Volumes 3 & 4: Air & Earth, Thrice have given me an album that could very easily receive multiple plays from me.

Many of the songs on the second installment in their Alchemy Index series continue to sound just like The Artist In The Ambulance era Thrice, particularly The Sky Is Falling; but there is something more. For example, in the aforementioned Sky Is Falling, Thrice uses many different digitalized effects to create a disjointed, ambient sensation. Where the record really shines though is in the band’s softer moments – of which the Air disc is filled with. It opens up with Broken Lungs, a song that pulls similarities from former Taste Of Chaos tour mates Dredg with it’s atmospheric edge and soaring vocals. On A Song For Milly Michaelson, the strongest track on the two discs, Thrice sounds like Brand New if Jesse Lacey wasn’t always depressed. It starts off with one disctint riff that is repeated throughout the entire four minutes but Dustin Kensrue’s vocals soon captivate you completely as he croons “I love the night, flying over these city lights, but I love you most of all” and the repeated melody melts into the background. The only problem with the air disc is it’s length. At just twenty four minute, it isn’t extremely long but since it only has six songs it does drag a bit. The songs, all lasting over four minutes, do suffer from a slight lack of intensity and repetitiveness. Still, some of Thrice‘s strongest work in my opinion.

The stark contrast between the two discs is once again worthy of note here. While Air is much more atmospheric with a larger sound and vocals that float softly over the music, Earth is, excuse the pun, more down to earth. The songs have a rawer tinge to them and an old timey feel too. Moving Mountains is an acoustic track without being the generic acoustic ballad with vocals that, instead of floating through the speakers, carry a dark echo with them. Digging My Own Grave is a saloon worthy tune that mixes elements of The Hush Sound with Murder By Death. The Lion and The Wolf follows that pattern but also has a musical element to it that would fit into the Edward Scissorhands soundtrack. It’s an abrupt change compared to the Air disc but still fits which makes The Alchemy Index Volumes 3 & 4 the firstThrice album I’ve really enjoyed.

The Alchemy Index Volumes 3 & 4 is also the first time I’ve been really able to enjoy Dustin Kensrue’s lyrics. Maybe the lyrics have always been noteworthy and I’m only just now noticing it because I’ve finally been able to enjoy the musical aspect of Thrice or maybe Kensrue has outshone himself this time, either way, the lyrics are definitely worth mentioning. Broken Lungs and The Sky Is Falling follow a similar story line relating to the 9/11 attacks but instead of being overly political, Kensrue carefully tells the thoughts of a man unsure of what to do. A Song For Milly Michaelson teeters on the subject of plane crashes but in the vein of a passionate love song about characters from the 1986 movie The Boy Who Could Fly. The Earth disc isn’t quite as hopeful as Digging My Own Grave reads like a letter from an alcoholic and chain smoker but that doesn’t take away from Kensrue’s lyrics. One listen to Come All You Weary, a song that is seeped in hope and respect, and you can hear that.

Volumes 3 & 4 has outshone Volumes 1 & 2 and pretty much everything else Thrice has ever done. It’s not your typical Thrice record but still sounds like Thrice which makes it viable for both loves and haters of the band.