There are certainly more difficult jobs in the world than this. I am currently writing this siting on the beach in Florida, USA, with a beer in one hand, sun in the sky and punk rock on the stereo. And I haven’t even mentioned the bevy of bikini clad babes that are playing volleyball all around me…
But it has to be said that the Alkaline Trio are hardly the band that suit these idyllic surroundings. They play pretty grim and raw punk rock. Their last offering, the fabulous “From Here To Infirmary” is a masterpiece, and left me very hungery for more. So when I found this in the US equivalent of HMV, I swear a small stain appeared in my pants.
Kicking off with ‘Keep Em Coming,’ it has all the attributes that you would expect from an Alk3 CD. Edgy guitars, unmistakable lyrics and that Alk3 sound. ‘Madam Me’ could easily fit onto the new CD, and although ‘You’ve Got So far To Go’ slows proceedings right down, its still a great song.
‘Fuck You Aurora‘ is a bizarre effort, a song about a cute gravedigger I kid you not. But then Alk3 have hardly ever played to the normality. But it is still a great song, with the drumming a standout, a trait which continues throughout the CD.
‘Sleepyhead’ is riotous, and then ‘Maybe I’ll Catch Fire,’ the title track, comes in like a steam train and rocks yer socks off. Melodic, pacey, edgy, everything you could wish for and a hell of a lot more. Its not New Found Glory or Blink 182, but its edgy punk-pop at its very best.
‘Tuck Me In,’ ‘She Took Him To The Lake,’ and ‘5-3-10-4’ all brood and rock like bastards. Even ‘Radio,’ which seems to take an age to finally kick in, is worth its weight in gold.
To sum up, you have to listen to the Alkaline Trio. This band will be the next big thing. Although this is a great CD, it isn’t quite as good as their newest effort.
But it ain’t half bad…
Paul