The Alkaline Trio were a relatively small band, and it wasn't until the release of this album that they first started to get noticed. With the quality tunes and sing a long anthems mixed on this album, they could recreate the success of other Punk bands like Greenday and Good Charlotte.
One thing you notice about the opening track "Time to Waste" is that the piano sounds great. Indeed, the guitars are what make this track great, but i really can't say that i was expecting a piano in a Punk rock song. This is by far one of the best songs on their album, just long enough to be listenable without being too short. Also, the repeated cymbal smashes from the drums make this sound very different to a lot of other songs on this album, which, after hearing the whole album, will be the first thing that springs to anyones mind. This is the best song on this incredibly well produced album, so watch this space, as AT can only get bigger. 10/10
After a great start, my fingers were crossed that it wouldn't go downhill from here, and i wasn't disappointed. "The Poison", although short, is a wonderful example of a Punk song. At only 2 minutes, it means you won't get bored of it, and with infectious choruses and riffs like the ones present in this, it would be hard to get bored anyway. This song doesn't lose anything from being this short either, because its a worthwhile addition to the album, rather than 2 mniutes of complete garbage or poor filler. 8/10
"How can i rooftop view in London/ Look just the same as Brooklyn?"-The Poison.
Well, with two excellent songs to kick start, "Burn" still doesn't relieve the pressure. A quiet opening, with original sounding ehcoing guitar effects soons reaches a large crescendo, before fading bac into a slightly louder, but still more quiet second verse. The bridge is what fascinates me, more piano is used in this again. After a thudnering final chorus, the outro is a replay of the bridge, but with a guitar backing now, rather than the piano. This is another song deserving of a listen. 10/10
Next up, onto the single "Mercy Me". The riff in this sounds very much like the one of a pop song, which surely is the intention of this song. This single is very ear friendly, it isn't too heavy, but isn't too soft that it fits into Mcfly and Busted genre (Thank God). This song is definetly a sing-a-long, with the chorus being easy to remember and also a lot of fun to sing along to.Skiba's vocals are perfect in this song, with the guitar pitching in to deliver a truly wonderful song. 9/10
"Dethbed" and "Settle for Satin" are two of the dullest on the album, purely for the fact that they sound so much alike each other. Also, the lyrics may rhyme, but their is no reason behind them, no sense in what they're saying. Still, the tunes are good, and again there is a sing-a-long chorus, which helps notch both these songs up with their scores. Also, a minor criticism here is that i think more effort could be made to bring out the sound of the bass guitar, as, although at times you can hear it, it is mostly non existent throughout these songs. 7/10,6/10
"They found me face down on the street/on then ight you left to find/another place to sleep"- Dethbed
"Sadie" has a wonderful mix of soft guitar playing and strings to open it up. The Bass can be heard quite clearly too. Throughout this song, the strings are put to good use, and i think they are a real bonus to this song. I believe this song is about a crazed woman who appears to kill her lover...and other people. The lack of an ending chorus takes a bit away from this otherwise highly commednable song. Still, its nice to here that blokes aren't afraid to sing things like "wwwwwhhhhhoooahhhhhhh oooooohhhhh" in songs. This song is worth repeated listenings...yes..it really IS that good! 9/10
"Miss Sadie G shes crazy see/ thats what the whitecoats say"
So, onto a song, which, from its name, should be a slow (er) ballad or perhaps a meaningful song about suicide. Er...no...instead we get a crazy riff filled song, but it has a good sound to it, but to me this song is pretty uneventful and is a bit predictable. This song is good, but its nothing special. In fact, its so insignificant, i almost forgot to include this in my review. " I was a Prayer" is a little better, with a good combination of guitar and drums at the beginning. Like nearly all the songs on this album, it has a merry little memorable chorus.8/10
"Such a basket case/ hide the cutlery"-Time To Waste
Well, this song is called "Prevent This Tragedy", but, with songs that are thins good, theres no reason to panic that this album is going to be a tragedy. Good string work at the beginning, which seems a little bit of a waste, since they aren't heard during the chorus, which i think would if given it a little more depth. This is a song that you can play wherever you are, in a car, on a plane, having breakfast on a Saturday morning, simply because this is so catchy. The bridge has a good riff going on in the background, it really fits the mood of the song. Lack of strings though, makes me feel somewhat unsatisfied, even though this song is great!9/10
"Back To Hell" is Punk rock done good. This is the way we like it. The drums count in a powerful and quite fast riff, before everything goes a little bit calmer for the verse. But, by the time the chorus starts again, its another heavy duty one, and sing-a-long at that. This has all the criteria of being a good single, and i was surprised that it wasn't! "Your Neck" starts with just a vocal/guitar duet before a short pause, then into yet another riff. Good piano work again, which makes the song sound slightly eerie. This song is a great addition to the album, but i fell it should of been used as a single, as it has the potential to be great. 8/10, 8/10
"Smoke" is a completely different sounding song, with a really cool sounding opening part, which is repeated a few times through this song. This song is a good way to finish the album because it sounds so different from anything else on it. Good work from the string near the end of the song and at the begninning too, they really give this song some emotion. A fine finish to a great album. 9/10
Alkaline Trio are:
Matt Skiba-Vocals/Guitar
Dan Andriano-Bass/Vocals
Derek Grant-Drums
Essential track:
-Time to Waste
-Burn
- Poison
-Mercy Me
Pros- Time to Waste, good catchy songs with sing-a-long choruses, good riff work.
Cons-Settle For Satin, Momentum of opening seems to disappear as the album progresses through each song.
All in all, this album is a brilliant addition to anyones collection. Hopefully, AK will be able to overtake the mainstream commercial bands like Green Day and Good Charlotte. From the looks of this album, the only way is up!
Hope this was a better attempt,
Thanks,
When_darkness_falls
