Agony and Irony,
Alkaline Trio
If you're expecting an album that sounds like anything pre 'From Here To Infirmary' then look away now. 'Agony and Irony' isn't quite as poppy as the band have been, but it's not far off. 'Over and Out' may well be the best/worst
pop song the band have ever written, but overall there's enough of an Alk3 edge to take this away from overly critical words from yours truly. My main gripe with Alkaline Trio over the last few records is their inconsistency. It's almost as if they're a group of musicians stuck between two bands; a band that wrote genuinely good, dark pop punk songs and another band that wish to flirt with the mainstream. they seem incapable of mixing both with any kind of success, meaning songs fall into two camps rather than the one.
This record is a better attempt at mixing the two styles but still misses out. 'I Found Away' and 'Calling All Skeletons' just about manage to sound catchy without losing any credibility, but then there are also songs which are destined to feature on the soundtrack to The Hills. So let's break it down - 'Into The Night' is a good song, as is 'Help Me'. Believe me, there are good songs here, but there's a lack of urgency and pace which kind of makes some of the songs sound a little samey.
Then there are the dull, boring efforts which disappoint. 'Do You Wanna Know?' has to be one of the worst songs Dan has sung, while 'Over and Out' is a little too poppy for my liking. Alkaline Trio have gone downhill since 'Stupid Kid' hit the mainstream and I'm not convinced they'll ever write as consistently good an album ever again. 'Agony and Irony' hints at greatness and there are a couple of good tracks here, but as with many of their recent releases there are too many moments too steeped in mainstream success and I still feel the band are better when they're darker and twisted. Still, better than it could have been and worth a listen - whether you'll still be listening this time next year is a different matter...
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