Alkaline Trio - Agony And Irony

As you would expect, Agony & Irony is not for every Trio fan. You’ll hear those grumble that they don’t write songs like “Goodbye Forever” anymore

Grappling with change is a seemingly routine aspect of life that we often have a great deal of trouble with. Over the course of these past few months, I’ve found a level of comfort in the Alkaline Trio’s sound, not so much its aesthetics, but rather its often vengeful/spiteful mantra that, I’m sure, speaks out to a great deal to some of us (see songs like; “Stupid Kid,” “Radio” where getting revenge was more than just hateful words). Progression was of course, inevitable, as the band’s popularity grew, their sound expanded from the raw days of their southern rock/punk beginnings to the more gothic-inspired nature of their recent album (2005’s Crimson), to the more dark-pop tone of the new Agony & Irony. Yet as the polish gleamed, their attitude behind the songs never wavered, sure, they’re on MTV a lot more, and the songs are less aggressive and more calculated, but the venom underlining them is still craftily woven in with their trademark spite.

I for one am all-ears to the handclaps of “Calling All Skeletons,” the piano accompaniment of “Help Me” (which Skiba wrote in tribute to Ian Curtis), the mid-tempo nature of “Do You Wanna Know?” Each are beautifully crafted pop songs without the bubblegum gloss normally associated with it, and as the crescendo from the death-stricken (would it be anything else?) “Over and Out” melds into the brilliant “I Found Away,” it is clear that Alkaline Trio have reached a creative apex. The latter track, proof that punk attitude can successfully amalgamate with pop leanings and indie fervor without losing any of its substance. “I Found Away” climbs high on their list of bitter songs that in every way, strikes the right chords.

As you would expect, Agony & Irony is not for every Trio fan. You’ll hear those grumble that they don’t write songs like “Goodbye Forever” anymore, or that they’ve lost much of their acidic veneer as it evolves into a more recognized, albeit blackened, face. Yet I’ve always found that accepting change comes down to the personal connection you make with whatever is changing and how it continues to communicate (or not) with you. I don’t care so much that the video for “Help Me” is so painfully cheesy (what? No Will Smith?), or that they’ve got their own Nike brand shoe (enticing I have to say), because in Agony & Irony I’ve found a place to relate my frustrations of coming-of-age; the futility and the complicated mess of life ever evident and the clenched fists of hope in broken hearts.

(V2 Records)