January 23, 2009

Thursday - Common Existence


It’s no secret that Thursday’s last album, A City by the Light Divided, was a disappointment to many fans of the band. The choice to put Dave Friddmann at the helm was an odd one, and it ultimately showed upon final release. So, when Thursday announced that Friddmann would be producing the band’s fifth full length, fans were wary. Well, there’s no need to be frightened Thursday fans. Their upcoming full length, due out February 17th on Epitaph is sure to make you happy, whether you’re stuck on Full Collapse or you appreciated ACBTLD for what it was. Everyone’s sure to be happy with Common Existence.

Right out of the gate, the boys come out swinging with “Resuscitation of a Dead Man,” the lead off song and the first single from the album. A sense of urgency is immediately felt, very similar to Geoff’s recent collaboration with Daryl Palumbo from glassJAw, United Nations. A great vocal contribution from Tim McIlrath of Rise Against rounds out the track that can now be heard on Thursday’s Myspace. The second track, “Last Call,” is a standout upon first listen, and doesn’t fade at all with the fourth or fifth. It’s a plea for change, and it hits close to home with many of us. “As He Climbed the Dark Mountain” is taken untouched from the band’s recent split with envy, but is much more enjoyable in Common Existence’s context. “Friends in the Armed Forces” has been touted by several reviews as one of the better tracks, and I certainly couldn’t argue with that. Another song very fitting for our times, relevant to many of us, Geoff seems to wail with a youthful vigor he's to have grown into as the years have gone by.

A brief (and rather boring) demo of “Time’s Arrow,” then known as “A Sketch For Time’s Arrow,” can be heard on Kill the House Lights. When I first heard “Sketch,” I was both interested and cautious to see what Thursday would do with an acoustic number, and they did not disappoint. Just when it seems like the songs dragging, it picks itself up and hurls itself at you, and you can’t help but get lost in it.

The last three songs are where Thursday prove they're still alive and kicking, and are not dinosaurs in the scene, but elders that demand respect, and show they can still earn it. “Subway Funeral” doesn’t really catch your attention until the chorus, with an interesting synth-ish hook provided by Andrew Everding, who really makes his presence known in a good way on this album, whereas on ACBTLD, the keys felt very forced in places. Where the song really gets intense is at about the 2:27 mark. I won’t tell you what happens, but you need to hear it. “Love Has Led Us Astray” has a tough act to follow, but steps right up to the plate, and knocks one out of the park. The song takes it’s time to build up to a breathless outro, wherein the chorus is repeated over a driving rhythm that wasn’t present at all for the first couple minutes of the song.

The unquestionable standout from the record though, is without a doubt “You Were the Cancer.” A slow synth build up may go as far as to bore the listeners, in a very similar fashion as Circa Survive’s epic closer “Your Friends Are Gone,” but soon enough the song will change your mind. That’s when it drops, and Geoff screams like he’s never been heard, or at least not since “How Long is the Night.” Trust me, this is one song you want to hear in 2009. This ranks up there with the best album closers in recent years, and if anybody’s tough to beat, it’s Thursday. But they may have topped themselves here. Even as I listen now, I have the urge to assume the fetal position on top of a full stack of speakers with a microphone, screaming the words at about the 3:30 mark. The song gets played out, instruments are, by the sound of it, broken, and the feedback fades, and you can’t help but feel the album was a little too short. But, clocking in at a little less than 45 minutes, the only album it doesn’t top in length is A City by the Light Divided. And Common Existence certainly competes with every Thursday album in quality. An eight out of ten musically and vocally, lyrically eight-and-a-half, and production-wise seven-and-a-half. Overall an eight out of ten: Give it numerous chances.

http://www.myspace.com/thursday