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Alkaline Trio
Agony & Irony
Campus Correspondent Review By Marion Olea,
North Central College
Back with its sixth studio album, underground punk rockers Alkaline Trio have finally stopped bouncing around from one independent label to the next and have signed on with Epic Records to release Agony & Irony. This trio from Chicago has made a name for themselves not by hitting it big mainstream, but through word of mouth marketing from their loyal fans who continue to find themselves drawn to the bands powerful yet dark songs about love, death, drugs, and alcoholism. But has signing on to a major music label compromised just that?
Right off the bat in “Calling All Skeletons,” fans of Trio can hear how front man Matt Skiba’s voice doesn’t sound quite the same and is even unrecognizable. Staying true to form, the song is about heartache but doesn’t leave a lasting impression on the listener, especially for it being the opening track. The group’s single “Help Me” doesn’t really highlight the bands strengths, while “Love Love, Kiss Kiss” is a little cheesy for a Trio song. In addition, “Live Young, Die Fast” isn’t very creative lyrically and on the verge of irritating.
Even though the album doesn’t have any songs that really stood out, there are a few honorable mentions. “Over and Out” deals with death and suicide in a very honest manner that is refreshing from anything else out right now. “Do You Wanna Know?” is a catchy love song that helps pick up the album a little bit in the middle. “Ruin It” might not be the strongest song Alkaline Trio’s ever written, but it is the closest thing to its older, darker material from previous albums. Although Agony & Irony might not be what catapults Alkaline Trio into mainstream mega stardom and will leave die-hard fans disappointed, it’s still an album worth recognizing for its musical efforts.
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