Friday, June 21, 2013

CD REVIEW: Alkaline Trio "My Shame is True"


            Let’s face facts, people:  As much as they’ve tried, Alkaline Trio has not really had a good album since 2000.   It’s not for a lack of trying, because they keep releasing music, but nothing that is or came before “Maybe I’ll Catch Fire” compares to that era of when Alkaline Trio seemingly first existed. 

            I’d like to write one of these days that Alkaline Trio has released an album that compares with those previous and just doesn’t come off like filler, but sadly I don’t think it will ever happen.   It’s been thirteen years and no album has captivated me quite like those early on ones and I don’t think one will ever again. 

            While “From Here To Infirmary” did have some tracks on it I enjoyed, they were just nothing compared to the solid releases before it.   And from that album in 2001 on, the albums just seem to have less and less favorite songs. 

            Then we enter “My Shame is True”.   I’d like to say Alkaline Trio is back and this is as good as even “Infirmary”, but it’s not.   However, despite their having a musical melody that mimics Coldplay on the song “Only Love”, this is quite possibly the least bad album Alkaline Trio has put out since “Infirmary”,   In fact, if we could pretend like nothing between “Infirmary” and this album ever happened, I’d say that Alkaline Trio could be posed for another great epic.    But since those albums do exist in the middle there, I have my doubts.

            Much like Hot Water Music, I’ll listen to a new Alkaline Trio album every time it comes out, hoping that this band isn’t really past its prime and they have something meaningful and relatable left to share with us, like the first time we met.    But, much like what seems like lyrics from an Alkaline Trio song, I’m not holding my breath.   I wasn’t completely disappointed with this album, but it did make me listen to “Maybe I’ll Catch Fire” in the way that Foo Fighters make me want to listen to Nirvana. 

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