Alkaline Trio has no Agony or Irony

I’m not the average listener where I’m not overly fond of Alkaline Trio’s ridiculously dark songs, which is why I really like “Agony and Irony,” the trio’s latest album, released on July 1.
“Calling all Skeletons” takes us back to the old times, before all the extra crap that the guys had put into their songs. Agony and Irony has nothing but guitars and drums, which only make the guys’ voices sound that much more amazing.
“Help Me,” an uppity song has just enough darkness to remind us that it’s Alkaline Trio. It’s totally corny but ridiculously catchy.
“In Vein” was first heard in part on “The Hills” and I became entranced with the song from the very beginning so being able to hear the entire song just made it better. It bring Alkaline Trio back to their dark side and the lyrics are just perfect enough to bring us to that place.
“Over and Out” is just sad… I listen to it because the words are just so perfect. “’Over and out,’ he said/ With a .45 to his head/ The war has taken everything from me/ it’s all I’ve seen…” makes me wonder if they’re talking about the current war, which would make the song much more deep and perfect.
“I Found Away” starts with an Australian reciting some lines with an echo then starts the song. Again, it’s very catchy but it yo-yos between dark to light, making it sound much more like the rest of the album.
“Do You Wanna Know” and “Live Young, Die Fast” come next. Both make me want to sing along but I don’t because I just sit there and listen to the words. Neither of these songs are different than other things the guys have done, but they’re just so deep and the guitar and drums seem to be weaved into the song, as if those two entities are heard separately than the songs.
As if the album were getting too sappy, “Love, Love, Kiss, Kiss” brings us from that thought.
“Lost and Rendered” makes me think of “Crimson,” their previously latest album in the sound that it reminds me of the songs I’ve heard from that album—this comes from the girl who has just a smattering of their songs, without actually having full albums of any of their stuff.
“Ruin It” and “Into The Night” finish off the album on a good note, pulling the listener in only for the CD to restart, much to the delight of many. These last two songs are polar opposites of the beginning two songs, but in a very good way. They are much darker and much more deep, and as always, they finish their albums with a bang.