Review: Alkaline Trio

Alkaline Trio
““Good Mourning””
(Vagrant)

The Alkaline Trio continues to be truly a tough band to define. Throughout their musical career, their songs seem to ring true with their own blend of pop-punk radio brilliance that contrasts heavily with dark lyrics revolving around alcohol, girls, cigarettes, liquor, women, nicotine, booze and the female of the species…you get the idea.

The infamous Trio now stands faced with their fifth full-length release, aside from a handful of splits and singles, and their focus hasn’t really veered much. “Good Mourning” showcases the development of an intensely dark rock sound exhibiting a certain amount of ingenuity in its own right.

The opening track introduces the album with an intensely dark, luring guitar lick, coming complete with a haunting finish—the track, titled “This Could Be Love,” exits with a melody of church bells. The bells carry over to introduce the next track, “We’ve Had Enough,” achieving instant radio success.

The album seems to reach its peak in the fifth track “All on Black,” which serves as a look into front man Matt Skiba’s views on death, love, and luck. The track is a mellow alternative to the high energy rock commonly ascribed to the trio; the song exits with a soft melodic bridge that rings out with influences from The Smoking Popes to The Lawrence Arms.

Overall the album is another work of the Alkaline Trio’s own diverse dimension of dark pop; it’s a musical achievement and an enjoyable record to listen to.