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Agony & Irony Epic |
Ironically, Alkaline Trio’s late-career majorlabel debut doesn’t sound in the least like selling out. Actually, the long-running Chicago emo-punk band has built to this point musically with their last two albums, and there’s little doubt the disc would’ve turned out much differently on any other label. Studio polish, including vocalist/guitarist Matt Skiba’s delay effects on the excellent “I Found Away,” and synths on songs like single “Help Me” shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s kept up with the band recently. Bouncy and downtrodden simultaneously, this set of very sing-along-able songs – bassist/vocalist Dan Andriano has the best chorus on the tonguein- cheek “Love Love, Kiss Kiss” – sounds solid and similar, just about right for an act going big after a decade of dominating indie-dom.
– Eric Mitts
