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<\/a><\/p>\nFollowing Matt Skiba\u2019s interesting move to replace Tom DeLonge in Blink 182, the brakes appeared to come down on Alkaline Trio, leaving a five-year break between 2013\u2019s break-up\/make-up album \u2018My Shame is True\u2019 and their latest \u2018Is This Thing Cursed?\u2019, released at the tail end of August this year on Epitaph Records.<\/p>\n
Led by the single \u2018Blackbird\u2019, you could be forgiven for thinking their ninth studio album might suffer from being a part-time record shoved between Blink 182 duties. However, \u2018Is This Thing Cursed?\u2019, produced by Cameron Webb (credited with assisting in Motorhead\u2019s return to form on their later releases), offers up something both refreshing and familiar.<\/p>\n
While all the dark trimmings of domestic unease remain ever present in the Alkaline Trio vocabulary, which is sure to please their loyal fans, they manage to retain a lively and erratic sound pushed to new limits and held together by Webb\u2019s skillful production. And although this album is happily reminiscent of some of the Trio\u2019s earlier work, the sharp production adds punch to a set of finely-crafted songs.<\/p>\n
The opening title track sets the tone of the album, carrying some of the dramatic weight Alkaline Trio fans are familiar with, before leading into the excellent \u2018Blackbird\u2019 with guitars cutting sharply through the production. As to be expected, the dark tones are here all over the album summed up in titles like \u2018Demon and Division\u2019 and \u2018Heart Attacks\u2019, but this is a danceable collection which rarely dips into dullness. Swinging tunes like \u2018Sweet Vampires\u2019 and upbeat punk rockers such as the fantastic \u2018Little Help\u2019 really give the album a lift.<\/p>\n
Far from suffering from Skiba\u2019s foray into the world of Blink 182, this new Alkaline Trio offering keeps the band dynamic and relevant. \u2018Blackbird\u2019, \u2018Goodbye Fire Island\u2019 and \u2018Stay\u2019 are just some of the instant classics on offer among these artfully, and of course, gloomily, delivered 13 tracks.<\/p>\n