Favorite Albums 2016: Thrice 'TBEITBN' is the band's best work to date

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TO BE EVERYWHERE IS TO BE NOWHERE [TBEITBN]

2016 was quite a year for music and I can’t think of a better record to kick off our favorites of 2016 than Thrice‘s To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere (TBEITBN). This band is one of my favorite bands, or quite possibly my favorite. The reason is probably because Thrice evolved and “grew up” at the same pace I did. There was a time when Punk/Ska/Hardcore music was life, then the Emo/Screamo/Post Hardcore phase came and a friend introduced me to Thrice via their 3rd studio album The Artist In The Ambulance. It was heavy, melodic but not at all in that over-produced way. The lyrics were poetic, smart and more mature than their peers. I listened to their 2 previous albums after that and they were good, but they were unpolished versions of Artist. So the question was where would they go from there? As far as their sound went, Artist was the pinnacle so most of us would think we’ll either get more of the same or something different…. and most likely in a bad way. I was growing up, and my musical taste started to shift more towards Indie Rock. Will their follow up record hold my attention? It did. Vheissu was brilliant. It was experimental but showed growth, maturity and most of all progress. It wasn’t like when bands completely change their sound, this really felt like evolution. Vheissu still had a foot in the door of the genre they made a name in, but their next record(s) Alchemy Index Vols. I, II, III and IV did not. If we make the analogy of their earlier work as the teens, then Thrice has reached adulthood with Alchemy Index and so had I.

Fast forward few albums later, they had announced a hiatus and a tour to go along with it. An indefinite break, but it could have been their final tour and I of course did not make it to their NYC date. You snooze you lose I guess. Life is really funny sometimes though and as Highlark was entering it’s second year, Thrice announced that they are working on a new record due out May 2016 titled To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere. Personally, this is their best album to date. It all came full circle when I was able to get passes for their NYC show for the TBEITBN tour. I would never have thought that I would be in the photo pit taking pictures of my favorite band especially after they went into a hiatus. I know I’m a big fan, but I bought 2 different versions of their limited edition vinyl (as you can see) so trust me when I say that this is an album everyone should listen to!