When
Thrice returned in 2016 from their short hiatus, the resulting comeback album retained a glimmer of recognizable spirit of their former post-hardcore selves, but signaled a shift toward midtempo, muscular hard rock. Two years later, on their tenth album
Palms, the band took further steps in that direction, resulting in a subdued affair that offers just a few exciting moments, but is otherwise a bleak slog of introspective brow-furrowing. Thus, for those expecting 2000s
Thrice, expectations should be checked at the door.
Palms is
Thrice matured, featuring brooding piano-centric ballads ("Everything Belongs") and experimental tempo noodling ("Blood on Blood"), with just a couple reminders of past hunger ("A Branch in the River" and "Hold Up a Light"). Produced by the band and
Eric Palmquist,
Palms takes inspiration from
No Knife,
Beach House,
Fugazi, and
Radiohead, yet ends up sounding like
Dave Grohl fronting
Shinedown or
Royal Blood (especially on "The Grey" and "The Dark"). Standouts include opener "Only Us," which features a surprising digital-synth crawl and epic, atmospheric scope, and "Just Breathe," a slow-burner with lush harmonies provided by singer/songwriter
Emma Ruth Rundle. The promise of these tracks is unfortunately not delivered elsewhere on
Palms, but
Thrice inject some variation on this otherwise laborious listen. Upon release, the band explained the album's title as a reference to the palms of one's hands, which, when open, can lead to acceptance and understanding of one another (versus the aggressive response of a fist). The sentiment is admirable, but the sonic execution needs further refinement to reflect the evolved optimism they seek to highlight.