Newest Alkaline Trio album truly lives up to name
I thought about seeing "Cop Out" this weekend, but I’ve already seen "Blue Streak" and "Beverly Hills Cop" and I was willing to bet it would have essentially the same storyline done worse.
Instead, I spent my money on a good, old-fashioned CD. Alkaline Trio came out with a new record Tuesday called "This Addiction." The punk rock threesome hit a home run.
This is the Chicago-based group’s seventh major release and it sounds like some of its older stuff. It’s simple, hard-hitting and honest. It’s not garage punk, though. It’s easy to listen to and musically solid.
The album doesn’t let up until the last track. The song, "Fine," is a nice end to the album, though. The driving forces are accentuated drums and clean vocals. It builds nicely at the chorus with church bells featured in the background.
The rest of the album is guitar-heavy, but in a good way. The songs move briskly and hold your interest. Basically, they achieve the goal of music: I found myself listening to this album all weekend. There’s a great flow to the track list.
All of the songs are about relationships or a girl, which I have no problem with. The fairer sex has a way of messing with our minds which hasn’t changed from Eve to Cleopatra to Fergie. It’s like they have some strange, secret power that they must pass down to one another. It’s great fodder for songs.
One of the best tracks on this album is "Eating Me Alive." This song is the most interesting and creative. There is a killer synthesizer part that takes me back to the days of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It’s a magical mix of punk and all the glory that was the ‘80s.
Other high points are the title track "This Addiction" and "Draculina."
The title track sets the stage for the rest of the album and leads you to expect great things, which the record delivers. "Draculina" is a haunting track as the title implies. There’s a pulsating guitar that just won’t quit.
I’m really pleased with this purchase. It’s an album you can put on and just let it play through. Alkaline Trio returned to what they do best and it works.
There isn’t a patch or special gum that can quell "This Addiction."
