Year in Rock 2011 Nominee: Thrice

THRICE
Yellow Belly

From: Major/Minor
Released: September 20

When it comes to bands quietly going about their business, there aren't many like Thrice.  You never hear of infighting, scandals, backlashes and the like around this band.  It's because they aren't troublemakers; no bickering about money, no selling out, no drama of any kind.  They're just normal guys who started a band, got noticed, and have steadily grown as songwriters and musicians with each passing album.  They haven't undertaken any monumental sonic shifts from album to album since starting out as what may be considered an "emo" band (whatever that means anymore); they've simply added new colours to their palette over the years.  It all kind of came to a head on 2009's Beggars, which was as close to a pop album as we're ever likely to get from Thrice.  That album saw the band scale back the atmospheric nuances and conceptual tendencies that had abounded on their four EP series The Alchemy Index (a total of 24 songs, 6 for each element), instead opting for a more direct approach.  As it turned out, less was more, and so they went back to the straightforward approach for Major/Minor.

The most glaring difference between Beggars and Major/Minor is the guitars; they're louder, more plentiful, and propel the songs rather than accompany them.  It's noticeable right away, too; Yellow Belly's jagged riff draws out a pained exasperation in Dustin Kensrue that would have likely been more restrained had the guitars not forced his voice to try to be heard above them.  Elsewhere, such as Blinded and Cataracts, they're an integral part of the rhythm, pushing the beats rather than filling space between them.  Kensrue's lyrical prowess and vocal performances are sharp as ever, but now they're on equal footing with the instrumentals. 

And, yet again, they slipped by casually while other (many of them lesser) bands snatched all the headlines.  That is, until late November, when Thrice announced an impending hiatus following their tour early next year.  However, it's not because of squabbles or unhappiness; they just want to take a break, spend some time with their families and enjoy life for a little while.  Like I said, when it comes to going about their business quietly, there aren't many bands like Thrice.