Cursed with the Pop Punk Bug
When discussing the pop-punk mega powers, it’s hard to overlook Alkaline Trio as a very important, round one draft pick among bands in the genre. The Illinois band was founded in 1996 and have released eight previous studio albums with this new release being their ninth. Is This Thing Cursed? comes off the heels of lead singer Matt Skiba joining the Beatles of pop-punk in Blink 182, replacing the notorious Tom DeLonge and somewhat helping revive the band back into the mainstream with their release California.
Maybe his time with Blink 182 improved Skiba’s confidence as a songwriter because Is This Thing Cursed? has its formula down to a science–very simplistic, yet classic ‘00s pop-punk. The album starts with the title track “Is This Thing Cursed?” It starts with an anthemic vibe with pianos that calmy introduce one to the record. This part works but the typical pop-punk lyrics over this grand ballroom sounding piano is a little awkward, but when the piano cuts out and the power chords start, you know you are listening to an Alkaline Trio song.
“Demon and Division” channels the classic California punk groups like Skiba’s new pals in Blink 182 and Green Day. It has a beachy vibe within a typical punk track. It has some great backup vocals that mix with Skiba’s voice in the track. Compared to the melancholy of the last Alkaline Trio releases, this track is a return to a fun, relaxed part of punk. Really all of these tracks are performed in a positive light. Just look at “I Can’t Believe” which has great harmonies in the chorus and a fun beat that carries throughout.
“Goodbye Fire Island” has nice strings at the beginning that are almost Yellowcard-esque, but beyond that difference from normality, it is a very standard pop-punk song that almost repeats itself too much within chord progressions. “Krystalline” is a satisfying conclusion to the album. It channels the inner teenage angst associated with this genre, as Krystalline sort of fits the punk rock girlfriend stereotype, drinking too much, living in Santa Monica and dealing with pain through having sex. It’s almost too cliché to not laugh at.
Alkaline Trio has taken a bit from the Blink train. It is a typical pop-punk album, and maybe a return to their roots for the trio, but there is an uptick in production that dilutes the punk aspect of the album. This also makes the album sound happier in general. In 2018 though, who really sounds like Bad Religion? If there is something to criticize, it would probably be the lack of risk taking going on from this seasoned group. It’s not breaking any barriers within the genre and really doesn’t feel too different from the rest of the band’s discography. This doesn’t mean that Skiba and company are sending it in, but more just sticking to what they know works, and for fans of the group, it will surely suffice.
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