|
Alkaline Trio: Agony & Irony |
Contributed By: Debastardz
Created On: Thursday, 03 July 2008
Hits: 225
 Agony & Irony And that is what makes the band's sixth full-length album its best to date. Matt Skiba and company have steadily and consistently built upon each of their previous albums, adding where necessary, removing what didn't work and tweaking in all the right spots. The thing that makes Agony & Irony so good is that as you listen to the album over and over again, each song becomes the best song on the album at one point or another. There are very few records that are so complete from beginning to end that this is possible. Even on some of the best albums of the past few years, there is always that one track that weakens the overall effort. Not in this case.
Everything starts off strong with "Calling All Skeletons" as Skiba's vocals lead a few seconds before the guitars kick in behind him. The band's familiar lyrical content and humorous edge kicks in immediately, picking up right where Crimson left off. "Here it is again and it stings like the first time; seems it never ends," Skiba sings as the music fills in around his distinctive voice. Another standout track is "In Vein", a song which musically reminds the listener of early Clash records. Of course the lyrics contain all the band's signature sounds and warped sense of humor. Skiba sings of the abusive relationship (where he is obviously taking the abuse): "You recognize this shape; it's the back of your hand. You placed it on my face again and again. But I don't want to be the one who takes this place in vein."
There is no doubt that Alkaline Trio has developed its own distinctive sound and lyrical subject matter. But when the band records a song like "Over and Out", which has subtle but very definite elements of early 1980s college rock that harkens back to the time of Echo and the Bunnymen, The Cure and The Smiths, it makes the tracks just that much more enjoyable. The song "Love. Love. Kiss. Kiss." seems tailor-made for radio airplay. It is catchy, has the requisite Alkaline Trio humor, and is easily misinterpreted by those who don't actually listen to the lyrics. Alkaline Trio seems to be getting stronger as the releases come. Able to keep its hard core ban base and still build up new fans with each release, the Windy City group has been able to navigate the tricky waters that often doom bands looking for indie credibility and a major label following. With the release of this album, the boys in Alkaline Trio can surely look forward to more of both.
 
|
Awards