Review Summary: an outstanding piece of punk rock history and provides easily one of the most impressive and important performance in recent punk rock history.
Ah, Alkaline Trio how long has it been? The Alkaline Trio were one of the first bands I currently enjoy that I was exposed too at a younger age. At just 12 I discovered “From Here to Infirmary” and so 2 years down the track I was quite happy to part ways with my hard-earned money to lay claim to “Good Mourning”. Even now 5 years down the line I still enjoy this album immensely and so without further adieu I give you the Alkaline Trio’s 4th full-length album “Good Mourning”;
Good Mourning features a slight departure from the earlier Alkaline Trio sound. The album makes use of the occasional layered guitar parts and contains a somewhat darker mood than their previous work. Of note is the different vocal styles featured on the album. Matt Skiba provides a somewhat raspy tone that fits the faster standard punk songs, whilst conveying a sense of emotion that is key to the lyrical context. Dan Andriano makes use of a slower more well-rounded style that puts greater focus on the instrumental performance, although his vocals are still quite commanding.
Lyrically the album is quite impressive making use of rhetoric that sucks the listener into the “story” of the songs. Most notably would be “All on Black” which aside from showcasing Skiba’s best vocal performance contains some of the darkest and most confusing, yet enthralling lyrics featured on the album. Another impressive example of the album’s lyrical work can be found on “Emma” and Andriano fronted-song that deals with the macabre lifestyle of the eponymous Emma and her eventual death.
In terms of instrumentation the album is up to standard. Skiba plays in a relatively typical fashion for a punk guitarist. Whilst he certainly isn’t a technical guitarist he provides interesting and consistent work throughout the album. Andriano makes use of his rather impressive bass skills providing some neat fills that contrast with Skiba’s minimalist approach. Of course the most proficient member of the trio is without a doubt Derek Grant who provides a solid performance on drums. The drumming seems to be the strongest and most solid aspect of the trio’s sound providing a steady beat that at times even drives the songs i.e. “We’ve Had Enough”.
Thematically the album blends their earlier ideals with their current “gothic” style. With songs like “This Could Be Love” the listener is treated to a rather gruesome depiction of torture/murder. On the other hand ‘We’ve Had Enough” offers a nice critique on the staleness of mainstream radio reminding us to “Put Walk Among Us on and turn it up”. As if name dropping the Misfits isn’t enough the band puts forth the best Dan Andriano vocal performance in history with “Blue Carolina” which provides a rather unique view on the typical relationship/love song.
So I’ve praised the album but there are a few problem areas. That being that the first 9 tracks on the album are all top quality whilst the last 3 slip into mediocrity. Although they are still solid tracks compared to the majority of the album they do falter slightly, particularly acoustic closer “Blue in the Face” which seems slightly out of place. Also despite the overall solid instrumental work it seems the band is playing it safe never really stepping outside their comfort zone.
That being said, “Good Mourning” is an outstanding piece of punk rock history and provides easily one of the most impressive and important performance in recent times, so far as punk is concerned.
