Thieves continues to move forward by crafting an emotionally fuelled and technically driven approach to the pop punk genre. A year ago, we were given a sweet taste of potential with the band's contributions to a split EP with its Garden State brothers, Coming Clean (RIP). Fast forward and Thieves has introduced its forthcoming EP, Colorchange; an explosive follow-up that truly reflects the band's personal and musical growth throughout the last year, and steps it up to the next level.
With a mission statement to strive to become the "background music to your ups and downs", Colorchange is an EP that definitely hits straight home, especially for those that find themselves lost at a crossroad without the slightest idea on which path to choose. Blistering away as the record's opener, "Smoke Signals" provides you with a reassuring message to stand your footing and continue forward with your aspirations. Instead of settling with lingering doubts, the repeated lines of "Sometimes you gotta burn a bridge to change a life/Sometimes you gotta start a fire to make it right" soulfully reach out with a lending ear and a helping hand to carry the weight of the world.
While Colorchange is a highly abrasive EP that slightly draws comparisons to nostalgic deities like The Starting Line and (Deja Entendu-era) Brand New at times, especially within the opening guitar leads of the title track "Colorchange" and the song "Weight", there is no doubt that the band's heartfelt and crushing sound is a unique entity of its own that is beautifully complemented by its alluring orchestra of blissfully incorporated interludes.
Reflecting back on the spontaneity of this release, "Compass" is a song that truly conveys how unpredictable life can be. Those who listen closely to the lines "Something that felt so right; it's second nature to make it last/This is a brand new type of rejection/You comfort me with lies, but I found truth in your inflection" may find themselves dwelling back on similar accounts of forced relationships that naturally fell apart at the seems; to simply think that bliss can be easily attained through the eyes of someone else. However, sometimes the infatuating company of giving your love and devotion to another person in the long run may not be enough, or even what you weren't actually searching for in the long run.
Another standalone song like "Tunnel Vision", for example, continues to carry forward with a perceived theme of Colorchange that is solely derived on finding the motivation to get by each day and obtain content feelings of self-worth. This is a song that lyrically pushes you a step forward in the right direction without any excuses to bare. When you find yourself at war with doubtful thoughts on the darkest of paths, the morbid lines "You're either searching for answers or watching the cancer grow" clearly leave you two options down the end this crossroad: you must either take a leap of faith to make optimistic efforts to be the best person you can be, or let uncertainty hold you back from your fullest potential.
Piercing right through your heart with crushing chords and relatable lines, Colorchange is a brief, but refreshing release to cling onto, especially for those long days where life continues to throw punches at you when you least expect it. If you find yourself in a slump that shackles you down with uncertainty, this is definitely the kind of album to listen to if you're looking for the next soundtrack to drown out the rest of the world to, while finding the strength to smile and realize that you're not in this fight alone.
Tracklist:
1. Smoke Signals
2. Colorchange
3. Compass
4. Tunnel Vision
5. Weight
RIYL: Sing Loud EP by Coming Clean, The Weight That You Buried EP by Knuckle Puck, Direction by The Starting Line, Misadventures by Such Gold
Rating:
More reviews by Ryan McGrath
