I bought this album frankly on impulse. Wandering through Virgin Megastore on a hot summers day last week with a £20 note in my pocket I rifled through the shelves for Tool's 10'000 days which of course they didn't have. Then, looking down a few shelves I spotted Thrice's
The Artist In The Ambulance. I bought it, knowing that DFelon and many other MXers rave about them so I may as well give it a go,
Popping the album into my trusty CD player the first track
Cold Cash and Cold Hearts started with a bang, instantly showing their punkier influenced but at the same time mixing in their soon to become familiar blend of pop-punk, post-hardcore and raw emotion.
The album moves quickly and most of the songs are well constructed but there are a few main standouts.
Silhouette has a great opening riff, catchy and familiar but also allowing me to focus on the vocal melody which meant that by the end I too was bellowing along to "Your eyes".
Stare At the Sun follows with a surprisingly different bassline rather than the punkier bass that is prevalent in this album focussing on root notes and attack. There are other samples of good bass work, but this one really stands out, especially as
Stare at the Sun is also another great song.
The finest track on the entire album though has to be
Paper Tigers. In terms of heavy music it is that sweet spot between poppy melodies, creativeness and pure fury. The vocals switch instantly from emotion wrecked screams and yells to powerful singing.
Thrice have a real asset when it comes to their vocals. The lead vocals are strong though also melodic and emotive, able to switch dynamics and cover a wide range in an instant. The harmonies that are there also work well, though I generally prefer them to be minimal.
Guitar-wise, in this album Thrice do not display any great technicality however what they do do is create both memorable riffs and atmospheric mood be it harsh dischord to sweet melody while still managing to be energetic and raw throughout. The bass work is also good, mainly backing up the guitarists with roots and fifths but often embarking into fills that really add to the texture of the music. Thrice's drumming is not so much of a standout, but it works well with the rest of the music.
The main thing that really stands out about this album is that there is no filler. Thrice have obviously toiled hard over their work and made sure that itis 100% perfect to their requirements at that time. Every song flows well and the parts are polished and tweaked to fit their creative minds.
As I said at the beginning of the review, this was my first taste of the crazy world of creativity that is Thrice and I consider it £14 well spent indeed.
