Thrice: The Artist In The Ambulance : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

The Artist in the Ambulance keeps up the noisy punk and black hopelessness that singer-guitarist Dustin Kensrue dutifully chronicled on the Thrice's indie releases, Identity Crisis and Illusion of Safety. "One day the dreamers died within us/When all our answers never came," Kensrue sings on "All That's Left," the band's first single from its debut big-label release. Guitarist Teppei Teranishi, bassist Ed Breckenridge and his brother Riley on drums ably create a close facsimile of existential rage, but Kensrue's lyrics -- sharp, sometime political ("Hoods on Peregrine") and even allegorical ("The Melting Point of Wax") -- often get lost in the screams. Missing as well is Thrice's search for answers to their many questions. Where are the possibilities of this generation? You won't find them on Artist in the Ambulance. But the siren is loud and clear. Heed the warning and thrash away.

MARIE ELSIE ST. LEGER
(September 3, 2003)