Thrice has a very unique brand of fans. Most listeners will be quick to cast out their favorite band just because of a change in sound, but for the fans of Thrice, this could not be anymore false.
“Beggars,” the sixth studio album from Thrice, is another change in sound that has left most fans frothing at the mouth and begging for more.
The album showcases a more stripped down and raw side of the band with nearly every song allowing the listener to take a glimpse into the lives of band members. Lyrics throughout the album resonate with agony and pain putting all of the bands emotions on the line for the taking.
“Beggars” opens with the bass guitar pounding away on, “All the World is Mad.” The song is filled with passion, intensity and incredible musicianship as it sets the standard for the rest of the album.
Thrice do not waste any time after the first track as they roll right into “The Weight” with lead singer Dustin Kensrue’s vocals providing the crisp and unpolished sound that loyal fans have come to love. On “Circles” Kensrue confesses, “And storms will surely come, but true love is a choice you must make. And you’re the one that I have set my heart to choose, as long as I live, I swear I’ll see this through.”
Single worthy and one of the strongest tracks on the album, “In Exile,” opens with guitarist Teppei Teranishi providing an eerie guitar riff that runs right into one the catchiest choruses on the album as Kensrue sings, “My heart is filled with songs of forever, a city that endures, where all is made new and no I don’t belong here. I’ll never call this place my home, I’m just passing through.”
Although “Beggars” has many strong points, it does have its flaws as well, one being its similarity amongst tracks on the back end of the album. Certain songs like “At the Last” and “Wood and Wire” can blend together with others making it hard to listen to the whole album from start to finish.
One of the most unfortunate things about “Beggars” doesn’t even lie in the albums music, but in its distribution. The album was leaked nearly two months before its official release date causing uproar in the music community. While this was devastating to the band, they took it in stride and released the digital version back in early August with their record label looking to release the physical copy on September 15.
Once again Thrice prove that they are on top of their game with “Beggars.” Their Sixth studio album draws on all of their past sounds to make another great release from a band that has defined themselves by not defining their sound.