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Tags: Music

I’ve recently acquired The Alchemy Index, Vols. I-IV by Thrice, and I am amazed at the diversity of this collection (thanks to Jason and Zim for the recommendation). Each volume (they come in two sets of two EPs each) is themed according to one of the four basic alchemical elements: Fire, Water, Air, and Earth. After listening to each one a few times (see my Last.fm chart from a couple weeks ago), I’ve picked out my four favorites – one from each volume:

Fire – “Burn the Fleet” – This song is just so evocative. The images which the lyrics produce vividly describe the true desperate spirit of battle and victory, and the consequences of failure.

Water – “Open Water” – This is a mellow song that has some seemingly theological implications. The way I interpret things, this song compares the ocean to God, because “it gives and takes away.” The accompanying music does an incredible job of providing the listener with a sense of depth – as though the song itself is being cast up from the bottom of the sea.

Air – “Daedalus” – This song revisits an older Thrice song (“The Melting Point of Wax”) and an even older story – the Greek myth of Icarus and Daedalus. The song is heard from Daedalus’ point of view as Icarus’ father, and it brilliantly uncovers a parent’s inner hopes and desires for the life of his child.
(Honorable Mention – “A Song for Milly Michaelson”)

Earth – “Digging My Own Grave” – I love this song simply because it is so far away from what I normally would expect to hear from Thrice. This was one of the first songs I heard from the collection (during a random sampling), and it struck me as being wholly original and beautiful.

Even if you’ve never listened to or enjoyed Thrice before, you should still check out The Alchemy Index. The group truly pushed their limits making this collection: each volume has a distinctive style and each song fits its corresponding theme, but the entire collection can be viewed as a whole, with each element complementing the others. Each song in a volume achieves a different result than the last, and each EP displays a different aspect of the band’s technical prowess. They definitely played up the dichotomies between these four fundamental media – and the result is an amazing journey through pure audio bliss.

Tags: Music