Alkaline Trio, “Agony & Irony” (4.5/5)

Chicago’s Alkaline Trio have released their sixth full length and major label debut “Agony and Irony.”

The CD opens with the energetic “Calling All Skeletons.” This song is exactly what you'd expect from singer Matt Skiba, lyrically. In it, he uses images of darkness and skeletons when he belts the words, "There's a party in my closet calling all skeletons / Where did you go as the lights went black? / Look whats become of me / I've grown to love your disappearing acts / Do one more pretty please.” The album then quickly moves into the first single, a track titled “Help Me.” This song is Skiba’s tribute to Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis. Skiba sings, “Help me, Help me won't you? / Sing me, sing me one last song? / Help me, Help me, somebody help me / Save me from myself.”

Another standout of the record is “Over and Out” which tells multiple stories of people giving up on life and how to make it through. Skiba sings “’Over and out’ she said from her hospital bed / ‘for what its worth, it doesn’t hurt, don’t cry’ / ‘over and out’ he said with a .45 to his head / ‘the war has taken everything from me, its all I see.” After this first verse he then moves into explain that we are all the same and all face these problems as he sings, “So run for cover / As fast as you can / We're fighters, lovers, enemies, friends / And guns and knives apologize for leaving you tonight.” Dan Andriano takes less vocal duties on this record, but when he does sing he produces some of his best songs to date. My favorite of these being “Love Love Kiss Kiss.” In it, Andriano sings, “Love love kiss kiss blah blah blah / You’re making me sick / I wish you stop showing off for the rest of us that no one wants to love / It’s hard enough trying to drink another winter all alone.”

For any Alkaline Trio fan like me that was completely let down by Crimson, Agony & Irony should completely restore your faith in Alkaline Trio's music.

Favorite song: Over & Out



Reviewed By: Chris