Thrice - The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV: Air & Earth
Rating
RIYL
CodesevenDredg
Amandine
A Whisper in the Noise
Label
Vagrant RecordsTracklist
1. Broken Lungs (Air)2. The Sky Is Falling (Air)
3. A Song for Milly Michaelson (Air)
4. Daedalus (Air)
5. As The Crow Flies (Air)
6. Silver Wings (Air)
7. Moving Mountains (Earth)
8. Digging My Own Grave (Earth)
9. The Earth Isn't Humming (Earth)
10. The Lion and the Wolf (Earth)
11. Come All You Weary (Earth)
12. Child of Dust (Earth)
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You there! Yes, you; reading these words I’ve written. Have you ever been forced to write an essay of prerequisite length? If so, you’re probably familiar with the term “padding”, which refers to adding unnecessary and sometimes half-assed material to reach capacity. Although the length of Thrice’s latest project, The Alchemy Index, was self-imposed, it draws a noticeable analogy to the aforementioned process. The first two volumes, Fire & Water, were released last year as a double EP set, each comprising strong songs that were occasionally marred by the sensation of stretched ideas. Now, with Air & Earth, the latter half of this much-ballyhooed effort reveals a band stretching even further for ways to fill out their ambitious concepts.
But this isn’t meant to imply a lack of quality in the final installation of The Alchemy Index. In fact, it’s only slightly weaker than Fire & Water, which means there’s still plenty of wonderful music to be heard. Air, the first EP of the two, kicks off with “Broken Lungs”, a good track that lacks the personality and complexity that might have made it great. This is remedied immediately with “The Sky is Falling”, a frenetic but spacey piece of music that incorporates electronics, horns, and surprisingly effective hand claps. It’s followed by two equally strong tracks, both of which highlight the grace and breadth of Dustin’s writing. “Daedalus”, for instance, metaphorically applies the Greek myth of Icarus’ death to the tribulations of modern fatherhood.
Unfortunately, the next two songs are a bit underdeveloped and simplistic. Both are just over two minutes in length, and while they aren’t bad, each feels somewhat rushed; an impression that’s exacerbated by their unmistakable potential. However, things take a turn for the better as Earth commences with “Moving Mountains,” a standard folk-rock ballad made compelling by its intricate guitar work and stimulating lyrics. On this track, Dustin challenges contemporary Christian piety, crooning, “I speak in many tongues to many men / Argue with angels and I always win / But I don’t know the first thing about love.”
Several fantastic dark Americana songs ensue, making Earth the biggest surprise of the set and second only to the Water EP in terms of quality and consistency. Fears of non-stop folk melodies will be appeased after the first track, since only “Moving Mountains” and the single, “Come All You Weary”, feature the bluesy singer/songwriter style of Dustin’s solo effort. “The Lion and the Wolf”, for example, is a haunting, piano driven refrain, and a breathtaking departure for the band. Sadly, the final track, “Child of Dust”, once again displays potential but lacks the maturity showcased elsewhere, despite an inspired and intensely creepy final fade to silence that I won’t spoil here.
Although the second installment of The Alchemy Index is slightly weaker than the first, it is by no means a failure. If Thrice can pull these disparate styles together into a cohesive follow-up, it may very well be a masterpiece. Until then, all four EPs are worth owning, if for no other reason than creating a personalized The Alchemy Index remix in which filler gets the axe and favorites intermingle. It says something about the overall strength of The Alchemy Index that my own remix is well over an hour long.
--Scott Miller
Comments
Manchester, England
but dustin using the story of icarus again is a bit lame.
Fishers, Indiana
Cool review, Scott. Thankfully absent were the typical tropes of a lot of the more boring reviews. The analogy was apt, if a little harsh; you're indirectly implying that material on the album is "half-assed" and "unnecessary" at first, though further in you seem to merely want to convey underdevelopment, which is a much easier assertion to make...
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Manchester, England
its a little repetitive to turn to the same story twice for inspiration.
Waterloo, Ontario
Top Ten of 2009 http://www.decoymusic.com/users/3747/top_tens/2009
Yeah, I thought it was a little harsh myself, but since I wrote this review mainly to get an early copy of the album, it seemed to do the job well enough :D
Also, Alex, this is totally different from the first use of Icarus' story in The Melting Point of Wax. The point of view employed radically alters the effect.
Beer Blog
Oklahoma
samples
lol ... I even added fades to one or two in audacity (yes, I'm a nerd with too much time on my hands). Anyway, here's the current build:
1. The Sky is Falling
2. Open Water
3. The Earth isn't Humming
4. Backdraft
5. Deadalus
6. Milly Michaelson
7. Firebreather
8. Digital Sea
9. The Messenger
10. Digging My Own Grave
11. Night Diving
12. The Whaler
13. Moving Mountains
14. Kings Upon the Maine
15. The Flame Deluge
16. The Lion and the Wolf
Beer Blog
New Jersey
when i see it in your eyes
i just want to go blind
Los Angeles
postrockpaperscissors
Markham, ON
P.S. This is what the alphabet would look like if you removed Q and R.
I'm diggin it.
"These are our lives, but did they ever even matter - are we worth remembering?"
- "Tip The Scales"
Rise Against
Florida, USA
Markham, ON
Wrong. "Flame Deluge."
P.S. This is what the alphabet would look like if you removed Q and R.
Yeah, I have to agree with this - it at least ties for leading spot. That song is so badass. Like the coming of death itself.
(and death hasn't been laid in a while, so it's a freakin mess... awww man, yes I did go there and no I'm not proud of it)
"These are our lives, but did they ever even matter - are we worth remembering?"
- "Tip The Scales"
Rise Against
nj
keep making music this way and not that shitty scene stuff
kthx
Markham, ON
What shitty scene stuff? I've always regarded Thrice as standing head and shoulders above anything being done that could be considered "scene," regardless if the styles were similar or not.
P.S. This is what the alphabet would look like if you removed Q and R.
Los Angeles
postrockpaperscissors