Thrice leaves us begging for more

Though they were always more talented than their peers, 2005’s “Vheissu” and the subsequent four-part “Alchemy Index” helped Thrice go from great to the greatest.

Their newest effort, “Beggars,” combines the lyrical potency of “Vheissu” with the raw production of the “Earth” portion of “Alchemy” to create a dense and poetic release.

Whereas “Vheissu” was more obviously aggressive, “Beggars” thumps along with mid-tempo sophistication in “All The World Is Mad,” “Doublespeak” and “The Great Exchange.”

“The Weight” features a blues-tinged bass line, Dustin Kensrue’s smoky vocals and some of the best lyrics he’s ever penned that are surprisingly about love – “A ring don’t mean nothing if you can’t hold the weight / And some of them won’t even try.”  This is the album’s clear highlight.

Thrice will never get the respect they deserve from the mainstream or critical elite, but one listen to “Beggars” proves they don’t really care.