Thrive – Relentless
Track Listing:
1.) Relentless
2.) Invisible
3.) In Your Arms
4.) Just Fine (ft. Eric of Rebelution)
5.) Unify to Thrive
6.) Patience
7.) Single File Line
8.) Too Little Too Late
9.) Miss Number One
10.) Looking Away
11.) Workin
12.) Paradise Princess
The Pier Album Rating:
Release Date: May 7th, 2013
Record Label: Thriving Music
Website: Thrive Website
Group Background:
With their second album Gratitude Attitude peaking at #4 on iTunes Reggae Charts, Thrive is back with their third studio album Relentless. Coming out of Santa Cruz, CA, Thrive is compromised of a five-piece band including guitar, bass, percussion, sax, and keyboards all intermingling to bring a beautiful twist on classic reggae rock. Thrive has shared the stage with some of the biggest names in the reggae world including SOJA, Tribal Seeds, Collie Buddz, Rebelution, Steel Pulse, Dirty Heads, and the list goes on and on. For this album Thrive worked at Gadgetbox Studios in Santa Cruz, and worked with Lewis Richards at 17th Street Studios in Costa Mesa to bring Relentess that unique “hybrid” sound these talented musicians are really known for.
Album Review:
Hybrid is the true definition of Relentless. Thrive is able to put together an album that has a very adaptive rhythm and blues element, mixed in with a classical reggae vibe that just works. With amazingly smooth vocals, crisp percussion, creative bass lines, kick-ass guitar riffs, and mesmerizing sax work, Relentless is going to add a plethora of tracks to everyone’s favorite reggae play-list.
From the perfectly introduced title track “Relentless” to the very subtle acoustically based final track “Paradise Princess,” somehow Thrive is able to completely transition throughout this album from good to great. The soft romantic vocals are complemented nicely by the air of a sexy saxophone that shows the versatility of these gifted musicians.
In between the two solid songs at the ends of the album, Relentless is just with Christmas presents throughout its entirety. The second track entitled “Invisible” even gets a dub/electro mash-up followed by an amazing guitar solo, and is a must hear. But the fun doesn’t stop there, as Thrive gets Eric Rachmany from Rebelution on the track “Just Fine,” and his unique vocals stand out and thrive on this one (no pun intended). The track titles speak for themselves and Thrive hits all the good topics including unification, loving your women, and youth, especially on the song “Single File Line,” which also adds a rap element on the vocals.
This album is not full of 11 monster singles, but every other song has it’s own personality, and constantly shows the time, work and production that went into making this music. Thrive has not only come out of the box, they changed up the box, and now we know that Relentless showed us the “hybrid reggae” and the “hybrid reggae” is here to stay.
Written & Reviewed By: Andrew McClatchy
[Editor’s Note: All reviews are reflective of the album in it’s entirety, from start to finish. These reviews are the honest opinion of each writer/reviewer, expressing their feedback as a genuine fan of the music. Each star rating reflects their review of the album, not the band. Music is subjective. Regardless of the review or star rating, we encourage you to listen to the music yourself & form your own opinion. Spread the awareness of all music in its art & contribution]