fate of the faithful- obsessed with the intro, i feel like not only does it set the tone for the song, but for the entire album as well. i LOVE the tone of the guitar in this track, and danny had no right to go that hard. i feel like josh also did a lot of challenging vocals and little riffs here and there which I LOVE. i just love the overall vibe of the song and how all the individual unique parts come together.
waited all your life- i’m obsessed with the acoustic guitar opening and the way it picks up after that little acoustic intro. josh made the vocal jumps from his lower range to his higher range sound effortless wtf. i can hear sam’s part so clearly and he is literally eating it up, it works so well with the vocals
the falling sky- again, i love the intro. i feel like i can hear a little blues influence in the guitar and especially in the opening. this whole track is super catchy, specifically the chorus, and it’s hard not to sing along. and the fucking harmonica solo omfg. i obviously hear a lot of blues in the harmonica solo and i feel like adding that into the song really separated the whole song not only from the rest of the songs on the album, but from a lot of modern songs.
sacred the thread- this was probs my fav single they released before the actual album, i love this song sm. i love that it starts with the drums and then the guitar comes in. i’m also obsessed with the bass line, i feel like it works really well with the guitar part while still being unique and shining through in it’s own way. josh literally slayed so hard b/c this is such a challenging song vocally (at least for me b/c im an alto), but he makes it sound and look so easy. the best part of the whole song is towards the end when the vocals and the instrumentals all do the same rhythm while josh sings the lyric, “sacred the thread” (timestamp 4:47).
runaway blues- I LOVE THE LITTLE SPEAKING THING IN THE FIRST FEW SECONDS OMG! speaking of loving a bass line, i especially adore the bass line in this track. and the fucking guitar solo at the end is so good, it makes me want to cry and scream in the best way possible. i feel like this whole track is so different from a lot of the other stuff they’ve done and that’s probably why i love it so much.
the indigo streak- definitely one of my favorite song from the entire album omg. THE LAYERED BACKGROUND VOCALS??? HELLO???? i feel like all those background vocals added so much depth and color to the whole song I LOVE IT. starting from the timestamp 2:30, it somehow gets even better??? the guitar tone in the solo is slightly different (i think) from other songs and he plays pretty high up on the neck and it just works so well, i’m obsessed.
frozen light- the count off in the beginning omfg it’s too much i can’t. love the guitar intro, i hear some blues influence not necessarily in the notes jake is playing, but in his tone. the section right before the chorus is so good don’t even get me started. also love how josh sings about “dreams in gold”!! i feel like i keep saying it, but sam is absolutely KILLING IT WHAT THE HELL??? and in all the songs, but for this one, danny is eating it up what the actual FUCK.
the archer- again with the guitar intros, i adore this one so much and i love how it feels a bit lighter and then the other instruments come in and it gives it a heavier, deeper, and darker feel. the way that this song transitions into the chorus is so satisfying and works so well. i also love the vocals in this track and i feel like josh got to showcase his wide range a lot here. jake’s solo in this song is definitely one of my favorites from the album. i feel like it can be easy and tempting for guitarists to only play really high up the neck, but he utilized everything which i absolutely love.
meeting the master- i’ve loved this song so much ever since it first got released and i think my love for it only continues to grow. to me, it really encapsulates the whole album and their new era. everything in this song works so well together and it comes together to create a transcendent track that transports you into an otherworldly head space while listening (at least for me). i really love the lyrics in this song, they’re so beautiful and hold a lot of symbolism and meaning.
farewell for now- screaming crying throwing up. knowing that they wrote this as an appreciation for the fans makes the listening experience all the more special i feel like. i love the harmonies and similar to ‘the indigo streak’, the layers add so much depth. i love danny’s part leading into the chorus (timestamp 2:00), ITS SO GOOD HELLO??? this is also one of my favorites of jake’s solos from this album, the solo works so well with the rest of the instrumentals, while still bringing in a new vibe and introducing similar motifs from earlier in the song into his solo. the ending is so beautiful, and i love the way it slowly lessens until it’s just josh left.
final thoughts- wow. it’s hard to put into words how i’m feeling after listening again and really hearing every little thing. i feel like all the tracks are so unique but come together to create an amazing listening experience that leaves you yearning for more (at least for me). just by listening, you can hear how much effort they put into this and how much they have grown. sam’s bass lines were so fucking impressive and while i’m not a bass player, i found myself listening to his part a lot. danny is so incredibly talented and i feel like we really got to hear him showcase his talents in a lot of the fills he did, as well as in some intros or little solos. i really loved how josh used his full range and sang in his lower register. it made it feel even more special and impressive when he went back up to his higher range. jake’s solos and guitar parts kept me on my toes for the whole album. i could hear blues influence in a good amount of his solos and i absolutely adored that. he also played on all parts of the neck and incorporated different tones throughout the album which i thought was really impressive. overall, i am so incredibly proud of them, this album is so special and i’m so impressed. they really did something special and unique with this album and i just love them so much oh my fucking god.
i need runway blues injected into my bloodstream. preferably as an extended version where it is way longer than one whole minute and seventeen seconds. this request is for my health and well-being. a true means of survival.
the way that Sacred The Thread has been staring us dead in the eyes all this time 💀💀💀 I just know the guys would giggle amongst themselves over our oblivion on that one
