:Rivet: Thought Thieves – Krista

Thought Thieves – Krista
Release Date: April 29, 2011
Label: Self Release
Website: http://www.thoughtthievesmusic.com/

Review by: Debbi Baldwin

The release of an EP is usually a good way to test the water and see how well a whole album might be received by the general public. So when listening to Krista, the recently released second EP from Electronica/Dark Wave band Thought Thieves, I was hoping for something amazing that would have me eagerly awaiting a full length extravaganza.

From the beginning there is a definite New Wave vibe to the tracks. The band have stated that they are a ‘computer free/human friendly’ outfit, aiming the create thought provoking and exciting music for the masses, although I’m not quite sure there’s a need for four different keyboard players amongst this Minneapolis six-piece (or five piece, depending on which piece of information you read). Combined with a guitar, bass, drums and vocals, there is the potential to create an electronic symphony, yet they don’t quite reach those dizzying heights.

For such a variety of instruments amongst their number the music itself is fairly simple. Saying that, there is a fairly catchy, rhythmic quality to certain tracks (“Paralyzed” especially) which suggests what they were actually aiming for with their sound and shows the latent greatness lurking just below the surface. The title track “Krista” has a very retro feel which makes it quite quirky, and there is an unexpected darker twist with “13”, mainly because although they are described as Dark Wave there is little Dark through the other tracks, which is a shame.

The band have stated that they are backing track free, which is a bold move in such a well packed genre, but with a few more technical breakdowns and some vocal tweaks (not that there’s anything specifically wrong with them, just maybe could be a little sharper) they could be onto something interesting. I think it would be unfair to pass judgement before they have had chance to spread their wings and venture out into the world of full length albums, so I will be curiously awaiting their next release, fingers and toes crossed, and hopefully they will be able to deliver a thought provoking masterpiece.

Track Listing

1. Krista 03:49
2. Remorse 04:12
3. Paralyzed 05:53
4. Say Goodbye 03:26
5. 13 04:24
6. Krista Encouraging Remix (Heliosphere) 06:34

Download Krista – EP from iTunes
Download Krista – EP from Amazon MP3