My first encounter with Alkaline Trio came when I bought the first "Rock Against Bush" CD. Their song "Warbrain" caught my attention with its mournful yet playful sound. On Agony & Irony, released the first of July, Alkaline Trio continues with their tried and true sad-punk conventions, with a few new tricks.
Before releasing the full length album, Alkaline Trio released a sampler creatively titled "Agony & Irony - EP." Their opening song on the EP, the second song on the full album, "Help Me" largely retains the "old" Trio sound. The vocalist calmly singing a cry for help over distorted guitars cranking out a simple chord riff. The the song breaks for a brief period; the singer throws in some "la la"s and the drummer plays a simple beat, then leads up to another round of the chorus. This break from straight punk may be a surprise for the listener...if it weren't for the introductory track to Agony & Irony, "Calling all Skeletons."
Punchy, short guitar chords coupled with enthusiastic hand claps introduce the song, and are soon accompanied by the vocalist's trademark sad yet pleasant voice. This song is a medley of different sounds. One minute, the Trio has reverted to their straight punk sound, then they speed up the rhythm, then they slow it down for an anthemic chorus. It's a very interesting song, and a precursor to even more playful songs like "In Vein."
Of course the band still has some songs dominated by their old sound. "Into the Night" sounds like it could be from their Good Mourning album, albeit with a more polished flair.
Guitar parts and drums are all done very well, and are a bit more technical than previous albums. The guitars do more than crank out 3 or 4 chord riffs for every song. The drum parts don't stick to a standard 4/4 beat, the drummer likes to hit every part of the drum set for nearly every fill, and it sounds awesome.
Diehard fans have claimed that this album has given Alkaline Trio a more "mainstream" sound and appeal. They've blamed Sony BMG, the Trio's new major label, for simplifying and overproducing their music. I disagree. While Alkaline Trio has obviously evolved musically, it's not in an effort to become better known. (They already did that with Crimson, and more specifically "Time to Waste.") It's because they want to produce great music.
Alkaline Trio could easily crank out radio tunes any time they want to. They're talented enough to take the mainstream rock world by storm. But they are obviously more concerned with creating great, polished, unique punk rock.
Great album, albeit with some repetitive tracks.
9/10
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