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Alkaline Trio

Agony & Irony (Epic/Sony BMG)

By Rebecca Shore
Published: July 8th, 2008 | 9:00am

It’s been over a decade since the release of their first EP, and Chicago-based Alkaline Trio is ready to depart from the morbid talk that has always characterized their music. On Agony & Irony, the band’s sixth studio LP, this detour works both for and against them; on the plus side, it’s a sign that they can grow, but whether they can succeed in a move away from the darkness is the big question — and Agony & Irony demonstrates that they might not be suited for the light side.

Alkaline Trio was using the "catchy hooks + gothic imagery" equation years before “screamo” bands like Taking Back Sunday and My Chemical Romance claimed airwaves. It’s been a formula that has almost always worked well for them, rarely coming off as gimmicky. Starting with their 2005 release Crimson, they’ve slowly begun to eradicate the gore and anguish from their lyrics, but on Agony & Irony, there’s more lacking than just the macabre. Their dark signature still cameos every so often (in “Live Young, Die Fast," the lyrics take a bleak turn: "It’s in our eyes like shallow graves / But we are the ones with the larvae and dirt) — but it’s not enough to keep this reviewer from wondering: Did they put it out because they had something to say, or simply to remind us that they are still around?

That isn’t to say that their twelve years of experience doesn't shine through; the opening track, “Calling All Skeletons,” is addictively catchy from the first listen. Likewise, “In Vein,” with its sing-along hooks and mid-song breakdown would make a good addition to a set list. Such tracks showcase their tight harmonies and the production level, which is flawless. But punk, even pop-punk, is not a genre that plays nicely with perfection — a contributing factor to the album’s seeming dispassion.

Towards the end of the album, the songs drag unquestionably. A song called “Live Young, Die Fast” should reflect the immediacy of the title, but is instead a droning anthem that doesn't convince the listener that the singer has any intention to “Sit back and relax / Enjoy the crash." Alkaline Trio doesn’t need to turn back to the darkness to show their passion, but so far they’ve floundered in the light.

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