good music in the fall

This fall, three of my favorite bands have all released new album and I have been impressed with each of them.


Thrice - Major/Minor
I was drawn to the music of Thrice because of songs like this. They had a great mix of punk and metal that really appealed to me in my college years when I was discovering heavier music. I haven't followed the band's development all that closely over the past few years, so I wasn't too sure about Major/Minor.


This new album has more melody and no screaming. The guitars have a nice crunch to them but without the metal feel. Despite the differences from the Thrice I heard in college, I really like this album. There is a richness in the songs that is fresh. The vocals seem more impassioned and real, but don't lose their intensity. And, adding to the goodness of this album, lead singer, Dustin Kensrue, has really allowed his Christian faith to shine through many of the lyrics in ways that are honest and beautiful without being corny or fake.


Highlights: The opener, "Yellow Belly," is a perfect start. It captures the intensity that I knew in Thrice and drew me into the album. My other favorite has to be "Promises," for its fantastic lyrics:

Yea we get down on one knee
O, we play at chivalry
But we do not count the cost. 

We say, "On me you can depend,"
And "I will be there till the end,"
Though we will not bear the cross. 

Our word is so faint and feeble,
Broken by the slightest breeze or breath.
Our hearts are, they're so deceitful,
Sick and filled with lies that lead to death. 

We are cowards and thieves.
Will we never turn to grieve the damage done?
Never see, never quake with rage at what we have become?
What we have become.

Switchfoot - Vice Verses
Switchfoot has never let me down, so I had no doubts about liking their newest album. With Vice Verses, they have once again crafted a set of songs that are thoughtful and catchy at the same time.
I love Jon Foreman's writing. He has a talent for capturing some deep ideas in songs that are still accessible.


Highlights: "Afterlife," "Restless" and "Vice Verses."


Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto
Coldplay is a perfect example of a band that has grown with every album they've released, but has maintained the core of their sound and style.
Mylo Xyloto is a big step for the band. You can still hear that simple, stripped down Coldplay of Parachutes and A Rush of Blood ... but now it's infused with some lush orchestration and some serious pop music.
What I like:

• The little instrumental intros/interludes are great. They give you time to process the preceding songs and tie the album together.
• Something I noticed after a few listens: many of the songs end softly. Even the more upbeat tracks tend to slow or calm down near the end. It's a nice touch that, like the interludes, let's you move from song to song.
• There's a nice element of upbeat pop throughout the whole thing. We hear more synthesizers than any (I think) of Coldplay's work. I was pleasantly surprised by how good Chris Martin and Rihanna sound on "Princess of China."
• I've noticed several little biblical references in the lyrics. For example, in "Us Against The World":

The tightrope that I'm walking just sways and ties
The devil as he's talking with those angel's eyes
And I just want to be there when the lightning strikes
And the saints go marching in

Highlights: I like every song, but I think I'm still taking in the ending. For me, some of the best parts of Coldplay's albums are the last songs. You have tracks like "Everything's Not Lost," "Amsterdam" and "Death And All His Friends." Those immediately hit me as epic endings. I'm still trying to find that in "Up With The Birds." Whether or not I find it as powerful as their other endings, the album is another great entry in Coldplay's catalogue.