Thrice
Beggars

I was eagerly anticipating the new endeavor from the four of Irvine with almost a sense of anxiety. "Exaggerated!" some might comment. Perhaps, but every work by Thrice is accompanied by a growing anticipation, driven by the constant artistic progression of a very intelligent and dynamic band.

Being afraid to change, evolve, and dare are some of the greatest weaknesses of various bands that are now blessed with commercial glory and sometimes deserved success, and sometimes a bit less so. Thrice are not afraid of this. The distinctive Post-Hardcore elements of the "usual" Thrice are evident in songs like "Talking Through Glass" (perhaps one of the best pieces ever written by the Californian group) and "At The Last" (chilling when Dustin Kensrue intones "My body: soon buried and left to rot. The time's gone, how quickly it all has passed. My God, now I see how I've squandered each and every breath.").

Thrice play with emotions without being trivial, as in "The Weight", delivering magnetic and fast riffs (but not Deadbolt-like, if you know what I mean!) or calming spirits with a slow Radiohead-like piece ("Circles"), the best track of the entire work, with that final Post-Rock opening, (almost) new to Theirs. The odd times make even less inspired tracks like "Doublespeak" interesting, while the country-blues mood, already present in the EP "Earth" from "The Alchemy Index" enriches "Wood And Wire". The first video release will be for "In Exile", another masterpiece track that convinces with its rocking gait and an epic final chorus.

The progression of Thrice’s sound becomes very interesting. With "Beggars", Their push is clearly Rock, with a strongly marked groove and energy. But by energy, it’s not intended the speed and power of riffs present in "The Illusion Of Safety", nor the double pedal in pieces like "Silhouette", but a new (indeed more classic) way to interpret music. A more immediate approach with greater feeling compared to the rigid, albeit impeccable, sound proposal of "The Alchemy Index".

The artistic maturity is practically complete, although not everything that glitters is gold. Some flaws derive from Radiohead influences, which, while able to create excellent tracks like "Circles", already mentioned earlier, sometimes render musical constructions like "The Great Exchange", typical "skippable" tracks, reminiscent of "Like Moths To Flame" from "Vheissu", boring and pretentious.

We are faced with yet another demonstration of class from a band in continuous evolution. "Beggars" is destined for all lovers of good music.