Liner notes: Alkaline Trio review

Published 4:40 pm Friday, June 27, 2008

The new album from Alkaline Trio is expected in stores Tuesday.

“Agony &Irony” Alkaline Trio

WHY CARE? After palilng around on indie labels for a decade, Chicago’s second biggest emo-punk band — after Fall Out Boy — make the leap to a major label for its sixth studio album.

TRIVIA: Lead singer and guitarist Matt Skiba, who has discussed his membership in the Church of Satan, has a penchant for dark puns. Songs on the new album include “Live Young, Die Fast,” and “In Vein,” a track sung by bassist Dan Andriano.

HIGH POINT: The album opens with the solid one-two punch of “Calling All Skeletons” and lead single “Help Me.” Both are loaded with guitar and hooks; the studio trickery and keyboard effects that marked the group’s last album has mostly evaporated.

FANS ALSO LIKE: Punk rock, bad puns, black eyeliner.

ANDY SAYS: While Alkaline Trio remains the dark yin to Fall Out Boy’s yang, most of the gloom comes out in the lyrics. The songs have easy-to-approach pop hooks, and the album itself opens with hand claps. While “Agony &Irony” runs out of steam by its close, overall, the group’s sound remains intact on its Epic Records debut.

GRADE: B minus

Andy Rathbun, Herald Columnist, arathbun@heraldnet.com, 425-339-3455