Thursday - Common Existence
Rating
RIYL
QuicksandBrand New
Fugazi
At The Drive-In
Release Date
02/17/2009
Label
EpitaphTracklist
1. Resuscitation of a Dead Man2. Last Call
3. As He Climbed The Dark Mountain
4. Friends In The Armed Forces
5. Beyond the Visible Spectrum
6. Time's Arrow
7. Unintended Long Term Effects
8. Circuits of Fever
9. Subway Funeral
10. Love Has Led Us Astray
11. You Were The Cancer
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Anyone who has seen the film accompanying the Thursday compilation Kill the House Lights knows that they have a storied and turbulent past. The documentary is one of the more revealing that I have seen in recent years and shows the basic ideology behind Thursday. They have always put their hearts on their sleeves and are never afraid keep people informed on what is occurring within the band. Whether there are problems with labels or within the band, the fans are right there absorbing the news as it is happening. This amount of interaction leaves fans invested and a lot of people hold a special place for Thursday within the emo / post-hardcore genres. However, people were still quick to criticize them when they branched out on their last album, A City by the Light Divided. Fans were polarized by the vast amount of experimentation and un-Thursday like songwriting. With Common Existence, it is now evident that City was a necessary stepping stone to becoming the balanced and mature band they are today.
It is also apparent that the split with Envy has helped them create a more complex, yet cohesive, sound. There is a noticeable post-rock influence scattered throughout the album which has been integrated perfectly into their signature sound. The sonic, swirling guitars and spacey melodies add a depth that was lacking from their earlier material. The quiet-loud dynamics of the later tracks generate some serious tension as impassioned crescendos effortlessly grab your attention. Their strength lies in how well they transition between these different dynamics in each song.
The band has commented that Epitaph Records was supportive in them becoming more socially conscious and politically active, which they certainly demonstrate on this record. The lyrics always tend to stand out on Thursday’s records since they transcend what the common listener would expect from emo and post-hardcore. This also has a great deal to do with Geoff Rickly’s vocal delivery, which has an aura of sincerity like no other and can hardly be imitated. There has always been something special about Thursday, but it is also something that seemed somewhat conflicted. It was clear that they seemed torn between the mainstream and their roots in the underground with their two previous releases, both delivered on major labels. Perhaps switching to Epitaph was the best move that could have been made for the collective mindset of the band. Free from the shackles of their chaotic stay on Victory or the pressures of being on a major label, it seems like they had more time to focus on what’s important: the songwriting.
Every track on this album is not a victory, but the successful songs are among the best they have ever written. The album starts off fairly uneventful but continues to get stronger as each song hits. It is analogous to a jelly donut filled with especially good homemade jam that gets better with each bite. The first taste is nothing new. It’s that familiar and always reliable sweet donut flavor. Once you get to the jam, your taste buds are telling you that something noticeably better is happening. By the time you get to the last bite, you just want to savor it and have it locked in your memory. Thursday certainly leave a great taste in your mouth with the epic closing track, “You Were the Cancer”.
“Friends in the Armed Forces” is the first true standout that will stimulate your taste buds. It is one of those songs where it is close to impossible to sit down while listening. As the track swells in intensity so does the desire to stand up and scream with every word. It’s the kind of emotion that this band can incite but has failed to do so in recent times. “A Sketch for Time’s Arrow” was a demo featured on Kill the House Lights. It was a standout there, and the fully realized version present here is nothing short of spectacular. Where we were once teased by a quiet and sweet melody, we are now also surrounded by a torrent of intense musicianship. “Circuits of Fever” displays some clever new production techniques, including a nod to My Bloody Valentine, that helps enhance the experience of the song. The echo and reverb on Geoff’s vocals add another texture to the overall atmospherics that melds beautifully with the shoegaze style production and songwriting.
The main asset of the record lies in their newly reignited energy. There is a newfound sense of urgency throughout this album and it is more than welcome. This is not to say that their sound is regurgitating the old but it is reinvigorating the passion of the past and injecting new flavor. It is the element which was missing from their previous record. When Geoff is singing, “Everyone you love,” among synthesized strings (courtesy of Andrew Everding) in the chorus of “Beyond the Visible Spectrum”, you can actually hear his heart being pouring into every note. It’s true that “Love Has Led Us Astray” might have been the U2-influenced arena-ready ballad that the major labels were looking for, but it seems that only under complete artistic freedom could they have written such a successfully accessible tune.
The best part about this album is the vastly improved production. All of the parts aren’t swamped by each other like they were on City. Certain elements stand out exactly when they should and this adds another level of replay value. It seems like they have become more comfortable with Dave Fridmann resulting in a better overall auditory experience. You are able to hear something new with each listen and instantly get sucked into the world of each track as they attack your ears with a perfect juxtaposition of the abrasive and the beautiful. Thursday have established a very admirable career thus far and it’s evident that they are here to stay. They have certainly added another gem to their already solid catalog with Common Existence.
--Dave Spak
Comments
Spokane, Washington
it took a couple listens, but i'm diggin' it!
current listenings:
Of Virtue - "Heartsounds"
Capsule - "No Ghost"
Century - "Red Giant"
James Vincent McMorrow - "Early In The Morning"
Blind Pilot - "We Are The Tide"
Infinitely Inwards
Not bad. Obviously, I'm going to say that i still like "Full Collapse" more.
Ever Forthright - Ever Forthright
Fallujah - The Harvest Wombs
The New Law - The Fifty Year Storm
ERRA - Impulse
Aborted - Global Flatline
Steven Wilson - Grace for Drowning
Crippled Black Phoenix - (Mankind)The Crafty Ape
West Haven, CT
Who doesn't?
The Cityscape Burns Brighter By The Hour.
Milwaukee, WI
I've been through it twice and I like it. Very listenable.
Ann Arbor, MI
yeah it is a pretty good release
DETH ROK!!!!
Fishers, Indiana
I was surprised how much I didn't hate this as I was Audiosurfing it. I think they're never going to be the band I used to love ever again, but this sound I can kinda dig, at least a lot more than A City by the Light Divided.
Top Albums: 2011 | 2010 | 2009 || Tumblr | Twitter
Drummondville, Quebec
I'm digging the first 3-4 songs so far and the last one as well. The 2nd song is amazing! It was their 5th song on their old 2005 demos. I always loved that song!
I have never heard a Thursday album I didn't like.
Drummondville, Quebec
Well, the more I listen to this record, the more I'm digging it! The first song is really amazing!
VT
I like the album, but I'm a little disappointed that it doesn't have that post-rock sound like the Split EP did.
My Top Songs of '09
The Appleseed Cast//as the little things go
Caspian//sycamore
Sunwrae//Chinook Winds
Dredg//down to the seller
If These Trees Could Talk//the sun is in the north
From Monument to Masses//an ounce of prevention
Straylight Run//i'm through with the past
LpShinobi's Post-Rock and Shoegazing Recommendation, via YouTube
Lpshinobi's Post-Rock Band, New Song Posted
ARIZONA
Geoff Rickley is the worst singer
Green Brook, NJ
first song is crap, but the rest of this is gold. definitely makes up for their horrible last album. yay for sounding like war all the time!
Drummondville, Quebec
Sounding like War all the time?? Are you crazy!!
War all the time is the worst album of Thursday! The new one has his own unique sound, nothing like War.