Alkaline Trio - My Shame Is True (11/06/2013)
It’s tricky to truly fault punk rock Alkaline Trio’s ninth full-length outing without sounding petty, or as though one is grasping at straws to decry their trademark sound simply because this is the ninth release to which the band has applied it.
Although obvious to any seasoned listener, it’s still worth mentioning that a few songs on the new album sound similar to various stand outs from their fifteen-year-long back catalogue. The great thing here is that the old songs kicked ass, and the vast majority of tracks on My Shame Is True do as well.
With most bands, having a trademark sound all it’s own can be a blessing or a curse. It means jerk critics (see: all critics, this one included) can label a band as lazy unless they completely alter their sound from release to release, but a big change can mean the loss of stalwart fans as well.
The trick Alkaline Trio appears to expertly execute is noticing the bits of their creative endeavours that wear out quick with listeners, thereby tweaking them from album to album. In doing so Dan, Matt, and Derek always stretch the boundaries of a style all their own, but never stray so far as to lose long-standing fan appeal.
Openly admitting that this album is an apology of sorts to an ex-girlfriend with whom he is still very close, Primary vocalist/ guitarist Matt Skiba has managed to forge a much more optimistic and upbeat sounding set of songs, without completely betraying his knack for intensely metaphorical, and dramatic lyrics. Opening track She Lied To The FBI is a catchy and victorious opener that sets a decent standard for the rest of the CD. Unintentional or otherwise, it’d have any half-listening old punk rocker draw whopping comparisons between it and 1981 Ramones single The KKK Took My Baby Away.
Skiba continues lead vocal duties on I Wanna Be A Warhol, awkwardly-titled but solid first single from the album. Sharp and dark 80’s electro-synths dart about the track, breathing new life in to what would otherwise be a fairly stock-standard pop-punk tune. Derek Grant’s spectacular ability to liven up a drum track by cramming tricky fills like it’s going out of fashion is also on full display here.
Bassist Dan Andriano’s first vocal lead on the album, I’m Only Here To Disappoint, barely breaks the album’s pace. Andriano’s smoky-throated presence is well established, both in content and sound, and the dramatic bell chime found in 2003’s single We’ve Had Enough makes a minimalistic return in this song; ringing out to punctuate beginnings of the raw and punchy riffs throughout. The track builds well before a quick and heavy finish that saves the song from dragging right in the knick of time.
Kiss You To Death finds Skiba at his most personal on the album as he openly pines for an ex-lover, while making plans to cruise to her house on a motorbike to see her. The comparisons with the albums cover art are unmistakable, and add poignancy to the already broken-hearted story Skiba’s lyrics tell. Choruses here are stadium sized, before more familiarly-paced verses trigger and explode between them. The song may be the best on the album, and certainly the band in their finest form in years.
The Temptation Of St. Anthony threatens to be a forgettable tune from the very start; immediately kicking off with a bitter, fast, and unimaginative riff one could find amongst any clunkers from previous albums. Luckily, this quickly dissipates, and the song well and truly redeems itself with a riveting chorus and blistering drum track. A simple key change and Derek Grant staggeringly firing on all cannons finds this song finishing infinitely better off than it began.
Rise Against front man Tim McIlrath’s ripping guest spot on I, Pessimist threatens to steal the show just moments after the song begins. In a recent interview with The 59th Sound, Andriano, stated he believed that “Tim is the best at what he does”, and it’s no wonder why as McIlrath wails defiantly across this blisteringly-paced punk rock winner. Far from fading in to the back ground, Andriano rises to the challenge vocally as the two go line-for-line throughout the song. It’s a pearler that’ll probably land you a speeding ticket if you listen to it in your car. You have been warned.
In a stark contrast, Andriano’s next tune Only Love falls a tad flat. It’s by no means a terrible song, but the religiously-influenced lyrics about how to live one’s life for the better come off as awkwardly preachy, and the boppier pace make it more soft-rock than up-the-punx, especially when placed next to the ball-tearing song that preceded it. The positive lyrics are a nice change of pace, but this will certainly be one to divide long-time fans.
If Only Love leaves some folks wanting, The Torture Doctor will no doubt remind fans of Alkaline Trio’s finer song writing abilities, as it is nothing short of sensational. Sure to be a favourite at live gigs, the energetic verses seethe with self-reflexive sorrow and optimism in equal measure, before a jarringly catchy chorus crests and falls with flawless execution. Leaving plenty of room for crowd participation, be prepared for the mosh pit to explode as Skiba valiantly chants “Hey! Ho! We know how this story goes/ Hey! Ho! The plot it thickens and grows/ Hey! Ho! There’s nothing left to hide/ Hey! Ho! Down here on the south side.” Indeed, you wonderfully heart-broken rock star bastard, indeed.
The cruisy Midnight Blue and One Last Chance find their feet as stand alone tunes that slot in well after the more than difficult track they had to follow. Both are songs peppered with more personal tales of Skiba’s recent heart break, but sonically delivered in a much more uplifting way. Drag these oddly feel-good songs on that playlist you’ve been using to come to terms with befriending you’re ex-lover.
Young Lovers sounds a touch too familiar to truly stand out as a memorable track. Mirroring much from the trio’s LP Crimson, the second last song on My Shame Is True sounds somewhere between songs Smoke and Mercy Me from aforementioned 2005 release. Enjoyable, but far from ground breaking.
Until Death Do Us Part is semi-acoustic trademark from Skiba, rife with desperation and sadness both in verse and song. By comparison to a predominantly fast-paced album, the track calmly rounds out a damn fine release from Alkaline Trio. My Shame Is True shows they are a band who have left many contemporaries in the dust, and are capable of doing so for years to come.
Todd Gingell
Although obvious to any seasoned listener, it’s still worth mentioning that a few songs on the new album sound similar to various stand outs from their fifteen-year-long back catalogue. The great thing here is that the old songs kicked ass, and the vast majority of tracks on My Shame Is True do as well.
With most bands, having a trademark sound all it’s own can be a blessing or a curse. It means jerk critics (see: all critics, this one included) can label a band as lazy unless they completely alter their sound from release to release, but a big change can mean the loss of stalwart fans as well.
The trick Alkaline Trio appears to expertly execute is noticing the bits of their creative endeavours that wear out quick with listeners, thereby tweaking them from album to album. In doing so Dan, Matt, and Derek always stretch the boundaries of a style all their own, but never stray so far as to lose long-standing fan appeal.
Openly admitting that this album is an apology of sorts to an ex-girlfriend with whom he is still very close, Primary vocalist/ guitarist Matt Skiba has managed to forge a much more optimistic and upbeat sounding set of songs, without completely betraying his knack for intensely metaphorical, and dramatic lyrics. Opening track She Lied To The FBI is a catchy and victorious opener that sets a decent standard for the rest of the CD. Unintentional or otherwise, it’d have any half-listening old punk rocker draw whopping comparisons between it and 1981 Ramones single The KKK Took My Baby Away.
Skiba continues lead vocal duties on I Wanna Be A Warhol, awkwardly-titled but solid first single from the album. Sharp and dark 80’s electro-synths dart about the track, breathing new life in to what would otherwise be a fairly stock-standard pop-punk tune. Derek Grant’s spectacular ability to liven up a drum track by cramming tricky fills like it’s going out of fashion is also on full display here.
Bassist Dan Andriano’s first vocal lead on the album, I’m Only Here To Disappoint, barely breaks the album’s pace. Andriano’s smoky-throated presence is well established, both in content and sound, and the dramatic bell chime found in 2003’s single We’ve Had Enough makes a minimalistic return in this song; ringing out to punctuate beginnings of the raw and punchy riffs throughout. The track builds well before a quick and heavy finish that saves the song from dragging right in the knick of time.
Kiss You To Death finds Skiba at his most personal on the album as he openly pines for an ex-lover, while making plans to cruise to her house on a motorbike to see her. The comparisons with the albums cover art are unmistakable, and add poignancy to the already broken-hearted story Skiba’s lyrics tell. Choruses here are stadium sized, before more familiarly-paced verses trigger and explode between them. The song may be the best on the album, and certainly the band in their finest form in years.
The Temptation Of St. Anthony threatens to be a forgettable tune from the very start; immediately kicking off with a bitter, fast, and unimaginative riff one could find amongst any clunkers from previous albums. Luckily, this quickly dissipates, and the song well and truly redeems itself with a riveting chorus and blistering drum track. A simple key change and Derek Grant staggeringly firing on all cannons finds this song finishing infinitely better off than it began.
Rise Against front man Tim McIlrath’s ripping guest spot on I, Pessimist threatens to steal the show just moments after the song begins. In a recent interview with The 59th Sound, Andriano, stated he believed that “Tim is the best at what he does”, and it’s no wonder why as McIlrath wails defiantly across this blisteringly-paced punk rock winner. Far from fading in to the back ground, Andriano rises to the challenge vocally as the two go line-for-line throughout the song. It’s a pearler that’ll probably land you a speeding ticket if you listen to it in your car. You have been warned.
In a stark contrast, Andriano’s next tune Only Love falls a tad flat. It’s by no means a terrible song, but the religiously-influenced lyrics about how to live one’s life for the better come off as awkwardly preachy, and the boppier pace make it more soft-rock than up-the-punx, especially when placed next to the ball-tearing song that preceded it. The positive lyrics are a nice change of pace, but this will certainly be one to divide long-time fans.
If Only Love leaves some folks wanting, The Torture Doctor will no doubt remind fans of Alkaline Trio’s finer song writing abilities, as it is nothing short of sensational. Sure to be a favourite at live gigs, the energetic verses seethe with self-reflexive sorrow and optimism in equal measure, before a jarringly catchy chorus crests and falls with flawless execution. Leaving plenty of room for crowd participation, be prepared for the mosh pit to explode as Skiba valiantly chants “Hey! Ho! We know how this story goes/ Hey! Ho! The plot it thickens and grows/ Hey! Ho! There’s nothing left to hide/ Hey! Ho! Down here on the south side.” Indeed, you wonderfully heart-broken rock star bastard, indeed.
The cruisy Midnight Blue and One Last Chance find their feet as stand alone tunes that slot in well after the more than difficult track they had to follow. Both are songs peppered with more personal tales of Skiba’s recent heart break, but sonically delivered in a much more uplifting way. Drag these oddly feel-good songs on that playlist you’ve been using to come to terms with befriending you’re ex-lover.
Young Lovers sounds a touch too familiar to truly stand out as a memorable track. Mirroring much from the trio’s LP Crimson, the second last song on My Shame Is True sounds somewhere between songs Smoke and Mercy Me from aforementioned 2005 release. Enjoyable, but far from ground breaking.
Until Death Do Us Part is semi-acoustic trademark from Skiba, rife with desperation and sadness both in verse and song. By comparison to a predominantly fast-paced album, the track calmly rounds out a damn fine release from Alkaline Trio. My Shame Is True shows they are a band who have left many contemporaries in the dust, and are capable of doing so for years to come.
Todd Gingell