Album Review by Mark Bayross
New Jersey emo scene leaders Thursday return with their fourth album, this time boasting a polished sound courtesy of Flaming Lips and Mogwai producer Dave Fridmann. Intense and heavy but full of spine-tingling melody, this is a record that is grand in scale and grandiose in execution.
Geoff Rickly still screams his heart out on the ferocious THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CRASH, the epic INTO THE BLINDING LIGHT and the anthemic WE WILL OVERCOME, but there is an atmosphere of haunting beauty throughout the album, coming to the fore on the likes of RUNNING FROM THE RAIN and SUGAR IN THE SACRAMENT, enhanced by the keyboards and some imaginative duelling guitars.
LOVESONG WRITER manages to distil most elements of the Thursday sound, coming on like a cross between the slow-burn of A Perfect Circle, the ghostly rock of The Cure and the white noise of Sonic Youth, while the stunning AUTUMN LEAVES REVISITED ebbs and flows before building into a climax of heart-stopping intensity.
This record is an evolution in Thursday’s sound – its accessibility is sure to put some hardcore fans off – but its drama, power and overall quality really make it a must-listen.
