Thrice
The Alchemy Index: Volumes 3 & 4 – Air & Earth
Vagrant; 2008
Artistic ambition can be quite fraught with peril. Ranking at an even lower level in public esteem than a double-disc concept album would be the band who seeks to stray from their prior musical direction to forge a new path. Record executives shriek with the pain felt in their pocketbooks, critics grip their pens with glee, and fans bombard bulletin boards with bellows of, “Heresy! I like the old stuff better!” What some bands fail to realize is that, while they have every possible artistic right to chase after whatever musical muse their little hearts might desire, they must be willing to face up to their supporters (you know, the people who actually buy your music, paraphernalia, and concert tickets) when they confront the band with their declarations of devotee disloyalty. It’s more than admirable for a band to want to spread their wings a bit, but they can’t lose their minds in the process.
Yet, every once in awhile, a group wakes up and realizes that they can achieve both goals. These are the outfits that can stretch themselves in pursuit of their grand thematic objectives while simultaneously meeting their fan base’s expectations (because what band worth a damn actually pays attention to the whims of greedy record executives or the words of cantankerous critics). Thrice, a formidable post-punk band that has always stood a bit outside of the norms of the genre, has accomplished these objectives and more with their release of The Alchemy Index. Whereas Volumes 1 & 2 – Fire & Water found Dustin Kensrue and the boys merging heavy dark synthesizer work into their always aggressive guitars, Volumes 3 & 4 – Air & Earth resonate with thick rich organic production from guitarist Teppei Teranishi.
Air comes across a brilliant conversation between the tones of the other 3 volumes, possessing both thundering atmospheric tracks and whispered, dreamy murmurs. Earth truly represents the most distinct sonic divergence for the band, as traditional Thrice instrumentation is set aside for acoustic guitars, banjos, upright pianos, and old-school basses, yet the band’s sound remains more than recognizable. The standout tracks on this beautifully fragmented release are “Broken Lungs” and “Daedalus” (from Air) and “The Earth Isn’t Humming” and “Come All You Weary” (from Earth), each distinctively capturing various aspects of Thrice’s vision. What makes the project work as a whole is that the band takes ample time to nod appreciatively at their past and present, while feeling free to wander around in the woods of their imaginations. The Alchemy Index is an ambitious undertaking that has served to display Thrice as a band possessing the ability to take chances with their sound that prove to be more than successful.