Thursday Album: “City by the Light Divided”

i've been a huge thursday fan since i got "full collapse" back in 2002 and i think that is one of the best albums i own. i then picked up their older work "waiting" and i thought it was fairly good even though it was very raw sounding and underproduced. then 2003 came and "war all the time" was released and that too was an awesome release but not quite as good as "full collapse".

now, a mere 3 years later (after going through personal hells, says geoff rickly) they released "a city by the light divided". when i first heard it, i was really shocked and amazed altogether. it sounded alot different from anything released from the band. It was more atmostpheric, darker, more epic sounding, and geoff's vocals sounded distant in the songs adding a weird vibe to them. i'm not sure why thursday went with the recording style they went with, because geoff's vocals sound kind of drowned out by the wailing/intricate guitars but yet i can't help loving it at the same time. this is clearly musical progression, no doubt, and you can hear a little from every thursday album on here, especially "waiting" and "full collapse".

not only is the whole cd a solid piece of art, geoff's lyrics are clever and intelligent as ever, as well as his singing range reaching new heights. i think geoff's distinct, unique voice really separates this band from what's out there. his voice is so emotional, angsty, dark, harsh, and honest altogether.

this album is a huge progression for the band and i'm surprised they did such a leap being signed on a major label. their progression kind of reminds me of the one thrice did with "vheissu". that was thrice's beautiful masterpiece, as is this is thursday's beautiful masterpiece. the album sounds very big and will become an epic in my cd collection. I could honestly say thursday could call it quits tomorrow (god forbid) and feel closure and peace with themselves as inviduals and as a band due to this release. thursday has made a career album with "a city by the light divided".

it seems every song is amazing and has different standouts but i think the best song on the cd is "running from the rain". this is the best song thursday has ever created. it's very atmospheric and the eerie guitar parts and sounds are captivating to say the least. the song is one of those songs that gives you certain imagery when listening to it. for me, it made me feel like i was walking on abandoned train tracks at night, feeling very isolated and secluded while looking up at the sky. Then at a distance, i could see lightning fueling the sky and hearing the distance rumbles of thunder as a violent storm is approaching me (all the while feeling very peaceful). yeah, it's that atmospheric! then there is the song "at this velocity" which is the most ferocious and screaming song thursday has ever done. and that is really the only screams you'll find on the album (besides a few)as for geoff has really found his singing ability and does a lot of it. please, do yourself a favor and pick up this epic album from thursday. thursday fans will like it 100% while others might not appreciate this progression, but i promise you will if you give it time and some listens. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED...

Throughout our lives, music has always been there for us in one form or another. It is not a hobby: It's an element of life. We all have unique tastes in music, and over the years we latch on the the best parts of new trends, while hanging on to the best parts of yesterday's. As a 26 year old, I've been through the best and worst of every genre of popular music for as many years, and I can say with all confidence that Thursday is hands down the most amazing band I've ever heard. This is coming from someone who has so many "favorites", from so many genres popular and punk/underground, there's too many to list.

This record will change you, if you let it. There's something for everyone here. Crushing, beautiful, pissed, loving, foreboding, hopeful. This album will move you, which is something no cookie-cutter album can accomplish. The guys struck the perfect balance of raw emotion and strategic planning: While the album is well structured and thought out, it's ideas don't overshadow or hold back the balls to the wall emotion.

Perhaps the best part of this album is that is clearly establishes them as their own sound, one that has been unsuccessfully aped by countless horrible so-called "emo" bands. Surely this album will separate them from the pack of rip-offs that will soon fade. I don't even think of them as post-anything, I just think of them as Thursday, a rare accomplishment (I like to categorize as much as anyone, it's in our nature).

We all like to compare albums to past efforts, and I'm a sucker for that as well. Here's my take: We all know Waiting was a great album, but definitely not their best. Full Collapse struck the perfect balance of vulnerability (immaturity?) and power, and we hold that record in high regard for sentimental reasons as well. For many of us, it was our first exposure to Thursday, which is why many like to use the album as a benchmark. There's no shame in that: I do it too, and I do it with other bands as well. As for War All The Time, musically, of course that record was an improvement. The band's range had improved, Geoff's singing was much better and confident (no longer as underdeveloped or vulnerable sounding as Full Collapse, which was one of it's charms though), and the songs are just more... Amazing. 5 out of 5, right? I thought so, and I still do.

Which is why A City By The Light Divided raises the benchmark. Geoff sings with even MORE confidence this time, the songs are even more epic, and we're all left to scramble to try and categorize the band once again. What's better than major label time-crunch pressure to put out an AMAZING album (War All The Time)? NO TIME CRUNCH! This time around, internal strife and time off allowed for Thursday to regroup and rediscover why they do what they do. And we're left with the most amazing album to come out since... the last Thursday album.

Almost 3 years in the making, Thursday returns with an album reminiscent of the Passion of 'Full Collapse', but with the maturity or more well developed song writing. This is a big step above 'War All the Time' which was somewhat confusing to some fans at times, but this time around they clear everything up. The Vocals return with the passion you'd expect from Geoff, and the bass lines pack as much punch as 'Full Collapse' while the keys and Guitars seem a lot more focused than 'War All the Time'. This album is a lot easier to get into and the songs seem to be almost epic, without being long and drawn out. Great songs like "Counting 5-4-3-2-1" and "At This Velocity" show that the band still has the punch and melody that got you into them and loving it.

A City by the Light Divided was a bit below from what I was expecting from Thursday. After hearing the improvement from the very beginning with Waiting to War All the Time, it seems that ACbtLD may be back-pedaling a bit. As musicians and lyricists, Thursday has continued to broaden their horizons and explore new areas, breaking the "hardcore" mold that they once forced themselves into. However, I am disappointed with the vocals. Like other band recently (who will remain nameless), it seems as though Thursday spend so much time working on the musicianship of the songs that they took the first recording of the song and just forced it into the song, without seriously taking the time to lay down the vocal track. Yes, they may have been going for a slightly unpolished effect, but with the instruments sounding crisp, it is somewhat necessary for the vocals to fit into it too.

1) The Other Side of the Crash/Over and Out (Of Control): A decent song, although it is probably my least favorite on the album. I feel as if it is echoing "Understanding in a Car Crash" too much, and was more of a b-side from War All the Time. It's a good song, musically. [7/10]

2) Counting 5-4-3-2-1: This is such a cool song. If you read the back-story on this song on their website, the lyrics fit right in with the story. I love the instrumentation in this song. [7/10]

3) Sugar in the Sacrament: This song has grown on me after listening to it many times. I wish they built up the chorus a bit more, but other than that it's a decent song. [8/10]

4) At This Velocity: This song is more like their stuff from Full Collapse, but is still wicked disgusting (I mean that in a good way). It is the only really rocking song on the album, and it is so powerful that there only needed to be one. [9/10]

5) We Will Overcome: This song is like a new anthem. I've always liked an echoing effect on songs, and this one is no exception. It's my second favorite song on the album. [9/10]

6) Arc -- Lamps, Signal Flares, a Shower of White (The Light): This is a great filler song, splitting up the album a bit. I loved the synthesizers on the track, but the guitar kind of got on my nerves. [6/10]

7) Running from the Rain: This is the softer, melodic song on the album, and very U2-ish. But in a good way. This song is lyrically one of my favorites, and probably my third favorite song on the album. [8/10]

8) Telegraph Avenue Kiss: I don't know what it is about this song, but it's very good. They didn't skimp on the vocals or anything. Plus, tying that childhood rhyme into the song is so classic, but a tad cliché. Still a great song. [8/10]

9) The Lovesong Writer: I love this song because it taunts all of those stupid emo bands, and sounds great. I wish they did something a little bit more with the chorus, but other than that it's a good song. [7/10]

10) Into the Blinding Light: This song is probably my least favorite on the album. I just feel it's lyrics wicked cliché and fits into that whiny emo song genre too well. Musically, it's good. I just don't really like the lyrics.[6/10]

11) Autumn Leaves Revisited: This is by far the stand out track on the album. The guitar riff is so haunting, and fits in with the strings. I loved how they used both acoustic and electric guitars, and piano. The lyrics are so overwhelming and fit right in with the song, and the vocals are decent. This is most definitely my favorite track on the album, and my favorite song by Thursday to date (although "A Hole in the World" is a close second!). [10/10]

This album demonstrates the growth Thursday has had since their last release, and is definitely a must buy for any fan. So, 5-4-3-2-what are you waiting for?

I have Full Collapse and War All the Time, both are what I consider excellent albums, and after reading all the reviews on this site, thought this album would be also. To be honest, after listening to it once, I don't have any great desire to listen again, mostly because the sound quality is a big step down from their previous albums. I'm not that picky in my music, but I don't want a band like Thursday to sound like the garage band down the street. Maybe the lyrics are great, but I'm just so distracted by the distinct decrease in sound quality that I can't appreciate the other parts. I would be OK if this was their first album, but it isn't, and I had some high expectations for this newest album. Unfortunately, it's not quite what I expected or what I like.