No Devolución
Encyclopedia
No Devolución is the sixth studio album by the American rock band Thursday
. The record was released through Epitaph Records
on April 12, 2011. The musical style on No Devolución is a departure from the more traditional post-hardcore
sound on Thursday's earlier records, and instead explores darker and more atmospheric tones.
with producer Dave Fridmann
in July 2010. Fridmann had previously produced the band's previous two studio albums: 2006's A City by the Light Divided
and 2009's Common Existence
. In a press release for the album, vocalist Geoff Rickly
commented, "We've worked with Dave Fridmann before, but this is definitely the most we've ever clicked with him." Fridmann was also inspired by the new direction Thursday was taking their music, and assisted the band in taking their music to new areas.
Thursday entered the studio without any demos
and impulsively wrote No Devolución on the spot. Within a week the band had a full album written — a dramatically shorter time frame for Thursday as their previous albums had taken between six months and a year to compose. In an effort to "[keep] the songs fresher," recording was performed in several two-week periods with a month off in between sessions. The album's closing song "Stay True" was an improvised studio warm-up song based around a guitar part. Each day a new variation of the instrumental song was preformed and recorded live, with some versions lasting up to 20 minutes. The nearly eight-minute track that appears on No Devolución was Thursday's favorite version of the song, and vocals were later recorded for it. Rickly also recorded some of his vocal parts in the forest that surrounds Tarbox Road Studios.
While writing for No Devolución, Rickly's marriage was described as being "on the rocks," which had an effect on some of the lyrics. All of the songs center themselves around the concept and theme of devotion. The song "No Answers" analyses the difficulties in maintaining a friendship with a former lover. According to Rickly, after being in a relationship with someone for an extended period of time, "there's more important levels to the relationship than simple romance." Another common lyrical theme on No Devolución is how religious symbols can inadvertently divide the masses, which is most exemplified on the song "A Gun in the First Act." The song "Stay True" was written about the hardcore group Touché Amoré
—a group that Rickly knows through his vinyl-only label, Collect Records. He stated, "In thinking about what I wish for them, their band and all the mistakes I hope they don't make I recalled all the mistakes I had made."
Rickly noted that the end of Turnpike Divides has a similar lyrical structure to Shudder to Think
's "X-French Tee Shirt". Rickly wanted to do a long, complex circular melody which Fridman noted was similar to what OK Go
tried on another song.
. The tour marked the tenth anniversary for their second studio album Full Collapse
, which was performed in its entirety on all dates in celebration. A 7" vinyl split single
featuring Underoath's "Paper Lung" from their 2010 album Ø (Disambiguation)
and Thursday's "Past and Future Ruins" from their No Devolución was released as a tour-exclusive item in limited quantities. Also during this tour, Thursday held a contest in which six winners were chosen per tour date to preview select songs from No Devolución.
On February 1, 2011 the song "Magnets Caught in a Metal Heart" was digitally previewed via online streaming. Thursday intentionally selected this song to preview first because it was the most radically different song off of No Devolución when compared to their older material. Geoff Rickly described releasing a heavier song as "false advertising," and by releasing "Magnets Caught in a Metal Heart" the group would send the message to their fans: "You're not going to get the record you think you're going to get." The song "Past and Future Ruins" became available for online streaming on February 22, 2011, and "No Answers" became available the following month on March 22.
No Devolución was released on April 12, 2011 through Epitaph Records in CD, 2×LP and digital formats. There was also a limited edition CD version designed by paper craft artist Mia Pearlman, who also created the art that was used for the packaging of the standard releases. The limited edition features layers of solid bleached sulphate
paper with a different laser cut
design on each layer to where "light will shine through the CD hole." It was limited to 500 pieces and individually hand signed and numbered by Pearlman.
Thursday
Additional musicians
Production
Artwork
Thursday (band)
Thursday were an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey. Formed in 1997, the group has released six full-length albums, their most recent being No Devolución, which was released in April 2011 on Epitaph Records...
. The record was released through Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
on April 12, 2011. The musical style on No Devolución is a departure from the more traditional post-hardcore
Post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
sound on Thursday's earlier records, and instead explores darker and more atmospheric tones.
Writing and recording
Thursday entered Tarbox Road Studios in Fredonia, New YorkFredonia, New York
Fredonia is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 11,068 as of 2009.The Village of Fredonia is in the Town of Pomfret south of Lake Erie...
with producer Dave Fridmann
Dave Fridmann
Dave Fridmann is an American record producer and musician. From 1990 onwards he co-produced all releases by Mercury Rev and The Flaming Lips...
in July 2010. Fridmann had previously produced the band's previous two studio albums: 2006's A City by the Light Divided
A City by the Light Divided
A City by the Light Divided is the fourth full-length album by Thursday, released by Island Records on May 2, 2006. It reached #20 on The Billboard 200.Vocalist Geoff Rickly comments on the album's intent:...
and 2009's Common Existence
Common Existence
Common Existence is the fifth full-length album from post-hardcore band Thursday. It was released on February 17, 2009 on Epitaph Records. The band began recording at Dave Fridmann's Tarbox Road Studios on August 11, 2008...
. In a press release for the album, vocalist Geoff Rickly
Geoff Rickly
Geoffrey William Rickly Geoffrey William Rickly Geoffrey William Rickly (born March 8, 1979 is the lead singer and songwriter of Thursday, an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey. They have released six studio albums. Rickly grew up in Dumont, New Jersey...
commented, "We've worked with Dave Fridmann before, but this is definitely the most we've ever clicked with him." Fridmann was also inspired by the new direction Thursday was taking their music, and assisted the band in taking their music to new areas.
Thursday entered the studio without any demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
and impulsively wrote No Devolución on the spot. Within a week the band had a full album written — a dramatically shorter time frame for Thursday as their previous albums had taken between six months and a year to compose. In an effort to "[keep] the songs fresher," recording was performed in several two-week periods with a month off in between sessions. The album's closing song "Stay True" was an improvised studio warm-up song based around a guitar part. Each day a new variation of the instrumental song was preformed and recorded live, with some versions lasting up to 20 minutes. The nearly eight-minute track that appears on No Devolución was Thursday's favorite version of the song, and vocals were later recorded for it. Rickly also recorded some of his vocal parts in the forest that surrounds Tarbox Road Studios.
Style and lyrics
Musically, the record has been described as being atmospheric, dark and moody. Unlike previous Thursday albums, Geoff Rickly did not compose any guitar parts for No Devolución. He wanted to let the members "who actually do the playing on the album [take] charge," and allow them to experiment with "new sounds and directions." According to Rickly, each song on the album explores its own musical direction and "vibe" resulting in a collection of sonically diverse songs. The music is also a departure from the sound found on Thursday's earlier albums. This idea is supported by the album title which translates from Spanish to "no returns." The vocal style has also evolved from previous Thursday albums. Rickly described his singing style as "desperate" and at the top of his range in the past, but for No Devolución he gives a more "sung delivery" that better paired with "beautiful passages."While writing for No Devolución, Rickly's marriage was described as being "on the rocks," which had an effect on some of the lyrics. All of the songs center themselves around the concept and theme of devotion. The song "No Answers" analyses the difficulties in maintaining a friendship with a former lover. According to Rickly, after being in a relationship with someone for an extended period of time, "there's more important levels to the relationship than simple romance." Another common lyrical theme on No Devolución is how religious symbols can inadvertently divide the masses, which is most exemplified on the song "A Gun in the First Act." The song "Stay True" was written about the hardcore group Touché Amoré
Touche Amore
Touché Amoré is an American melodic hardcore band that was formed in 2007.The band released their debut 7" demo on No Sleep Records in September 2008. After a few west coast tours, the band went back into the studio to record their full length entitled ...To the Beat of a Dead Horse. The album was...
—a group that Rickly knows through his vinyl-only label, Collect Records. He stated, "In thinking about what I wish for them, their band and all the mistakes I hope they don't make I recalled all the mistakes I had made."
Rickly noted that the end of Turnpike Divides has a similar lyrical structure to Shudder to Think
Shudder to Think
Shudder to Think is an American indie rock group. Formed in 1986, they released three albums on the Washington, D.C.-based label Dischord Records and were a post-hardcore band, although they drew upon a wide range of stylistic influences, including pop....
's "X-French Tee Shirt". Rickly wanted to do a long, complex circular melody which Fridman noted was similar to what OK Go
OK Go
OK Go is a rock band originally from Chicago, Illinois, USA, now residing in Los Angeles, California, USA. The band is composed of Damian Kulash , Tim Nordwind , Dan Konopka and Andy Ross , who joined them in 2005, replacing Andy Duncan...
tried on another song.
Promotion and release
In early 2011, Thursday toured North America with UnderoathUnderoath
Underoath is an American Christian metalcore band from Tampa, Florida. Founded by Dallas Taylor and Luke Morton on November 30, 1997 in Ocala, Florida, subsequently its additional members were from Tampa, Florida...
. The tour marked the tenth anniversary for their second studio album Full Collapse
Full Collapse
Full Collapse is Thursday's second album and their debut on Victory Records. It combines post-hardcore influences with melodic elements and personal, emotional lyrics. The album helped to establish Thursday as an immensely popular group in the indie and alternative rock music scenes...
, which was performed in its entirety on all dates in celebration. A 7" vinyl split single
Split album
A split album is a music album which includes tracks by two or more separate artists. There have been singles and EPs released in the same nature, which can be referred to as split singles and split EPs respectively...
featuring Underoath's "Paper Lung" from their 2010 album Ø (Disambiguation)
Ø (Disambiguation)
Ø is the seventh album by American metalcore band Underoath. Released on November 9, 2010 through Tooth & Nail Records, the album is the band's first without founding member Aaron Gillespie, the first with Daniel Davison, formerly of Norma Jean. As of this album, none of the members that appeared...
and Thursday's "Past and Future Ruins" from their No Devolución was released as a tour-exclusive item in limited quantities. Also during this tour, Thursday held a contest in which six winners were chosen per tour date to preview select songs from No Devolución.
On February 1, 2011 the song "Magnets Caught in a Metal Heart" was digitally previewed via online streaming. Thursday intentionally selected this song to preview first because it was the most radically different song off of No Devolución when compared to their older material. Geoff Rickly described releasing a heavier song as "false advertising," and by releasing "Magnets Caught in a Metal Heart" the group would send the message to their fans: "You're not going to get the record you think you're going to get." The song "Past and Future Ruins" became available for online streaming on February 22, 2011, and "No Answers" became available the following month on March 22.
No Devolución was released on April 12, 2011 through Epitaph Records in CD, 2×LP and digital formats. There was also a limited edition CD version designed by paper craft artist Mia Pearlman, who also created the art that was used for the packaging of the standard releases. The limited edition features layers of solid bleached sulphate
Solid bleached board
Solid Bleached Board or Solid bleached sulphate is a virgin fibre grade of paperboard.This grade is made purely from bleached chemical pulp and usually has a mineral or synthetic pigment coated top surface in one or more layers as well as a coated reverse side...
paper with a different laser cut
Laser cutting
Laser cutting is a technology that uses a laser to cut materials, and is typically used for industrial manufacturing applications, but is also starting to be used by schools, small businesses and hobbyists. Laser cutting works by directing the output of a high-power laser, by computer, at the...
design on each layer to where "light will shine through the CD hole." It was limited to 500 pieces and individually hand signed and numbered by Pearlman.
Reception
Track listing
All music by Thursday, all lyrics by Geoff Rickly.- "Fast to the End" – 3:21
- "No Answers" – 4:53
- "A Darker Forest" – 3:40
- "Sparks Against the Sun" – 4:47
- "Open Quotes" – 2:55
- "Past and Future Ruins" – 4:15
- "Magnets Caught in a Metal Heart" – 3:42
- "Empty Glass" – 4:59
- "A Gun in the First Act" – 5:02
- "Millimeter" – 2:48
- "Turnpike Divides" – 4:54
- "Stay True" – 7:53
Personnel
No Devolución album personnel adapted from CD liner notes.Thursday
- Andrew Everding – keyboards
- Tom Keeley – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Tim Payne – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Steve Pedulla – guitar
- Geoff RicklyGeoff RicklyGeoffrey William Rickly Geoffrey William Rickly Geoffrey William Rickly (born March 8, 1979 is the lead singer and songwriter of Thursday, an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey. They have released six studio albums. Rickly grew up in Dumont, New Jersey...
– vocals - Tucker Rule – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Additional musicians
- Emily Ruth Everding – trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
, flugelhornFlugelhornThe flugelhorn is a brass instrument resembling a trumpet but with a wider, conical bore. Some consider it to be a member of the saxhorn family developed by Adolphe Sax ; however, other historians assert that it derives from the valve bugle designed by Michael Saurle , Munich 1832 , thus...
on "A Gun in the First Act"
Production
- Greg Calbi – mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
- Andrew Everding – assistant engineering
- Dave FridmannDave FridmannDave Fridmann is an American record producer and musician. From 1990 onwards he co-produced all releases by Mercury Rev and The Flaming Lips...
– productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, engineering, mixing
Artwork
- Mia Pearlman – artwork
- Nick Pritchard – design, layout
External links
- No Devolución at Epitaph.com
- Mia Perlman's official website