Artists: Alkaline Trio & One Man Army
Album: BYO Records Split Series Volume V
Tracks: 12
Label: BYO Records
 

Alkaline Trio is back.  After a slightly disappointing last record (“Good Mourning”), it seems like they realized every mistake they made and made sure not to repeat them for this EP.  So forget Jerry Finn, the guys went back to Matt Allison, who recorded everything of the band’s except for “Good Mourning”.  Now to totally appreciate how I’m hearing the record you have to know a little bit about my background. 

 

I got an associates degree in Alkaline Trio.  I’ve studied their songs inside and out.  This is because they are one of a handful of bands in the past few years that actually have made into regular rotation in my CD player. Even their mediocre songs are better than the best songs of most other bands.  Their blend of rock, punk and folk-style lyrics completely sets them apart.  (By folk style lyrics I mean they write out a big long sentence and sing it.  You’ll hear the same thing with songwriters like Jewel).  That style just isn’t used in most modern rock. 

 

The first time I heard them was the Asian Man EP, “I Lied My Face Off”.  It completely blew me away.  It was as if Weezer and Green Day combined to make my new favorite band.  For the four songs, they mainly sang through the verse and chorus twice, then had a huge bridge/outro.  With the bridge/outro they developed the song.  I couldn’t believe how good the EP was. 

 

Then came that album “Maybe I’ll Catch Fire”.  Gone were the long outros.  In came straight ahead arrangements with no development.  That was disappointing to me.  The songs just came and went, but were still pretty good.  And then the album had Radio, a power ballad that is completely their most memorable song.  Julia and I interviewed Matt sometime after this record [link]. 

 

Then was “From Here to Infirmary”.  For a band that was all about being evil and creepy they really never had many minor key songs.  “Private Eye” and “Crawl” paved the way for more minor key songs on the next record.  The record again, had no outros.  The arrangements were like their previous album.  So I still yearned for more development. 

 

Then “Good Mourning”.  They were going to record with mega-punk producer Jerry Finn, so I had high hopes.  I mean when you go with a producer, they’re supposed to make to do things you’re not used to.  They’re supposed to make you mature and not just write the same old record you’ve been doing forever.  I was thinking this record was going to be completely amazing.  Not so, unless you count ruining the album by overcompressing the vocals maturing them.  It’s so frustrating.  The vocals actually distort at times.  The songs are good, but the album sounds like crap. Same arrangements.  But they did have way more minor key songs.  Almost half the record was minor key.  So it ended up being okay.  The songs were good, but no real hit.  Another big thing was Matt apparently was sick during recording so his vocals were raspy.  His range seemed to suffer.  The songs had much less melody range, causing some of the songs to lose punch.  Good songs, bad recording.

 

So now comes out this EP.  And the Alkaline Trio of “I Lied My Face Off” is back.  Thank you!  There are 6 songs, only 5 count cause one is a cover.  So out of the five songs we have some development!  And you know what else is back?  Matt’s range.  And he almost picks some notes to prove to unbelievers that his voice is back.  Something else is back.  Their old producer.  He almost says, “I’m personally going to make up for the disaster that was “Good Mourning’s” production.”  Everything sounds great, but not like his previous stuff.  This sound much better than anything he did with Alkaline Trio. The vocal production is what stands out the most.  It’s much smoother sounding, blended into the mix.  And harmonies everywhere.  Not just doubling vocals like “Infirmary”.  Blended harmonies.  These songs sound full, not just like some live show as previous albums.  This time around elements are added.  Not just strings, but single note guitar melodies on top of the rhythm guitar. 

 

On top of all this they have their second best song they’ve written, "Sadie", a mix between “Bleeder” and “Radio”.  It is dang catchy.  And get this, it develops!  A lot.  I hope they realize that their above-four-minute songs are the ones that really stick.  “Radio”, “Crawl”, this one are all over four minutes.  You just need time to develop.  This song will be an Alkaline Trio classic.  (Yes, I still wish they would always go to the chorus a third time, but I’ll take what I can get). 

 

Their EP’s always seem to be their best music.  “Lied”, that Hot Water Split, and this one.  Let’s hope they keep going off in this direction and write the ultimate record I totally know they are capable of. 

 

Oh yeah, there’s another band on the split.  One Man Army.  They’re not half bad.  They’re like a punk Jesus and Mary Chain.  Pretty good.  But I mean being on a split after Alkaline Trio, that’s like getting to talk to the prettiest girl at the party, then she leaves to go to the bathroom, then another girl, who is nice and all, starts talking to you.  But she’s not that first girl.  You’re pretty much waiting for the first girl to get back.  And all you have to do to get her back is hit the previous track button a bunch of times.  So guess what.  You hit the back button a bunch of times.  Now you don’t have to talk to the second girl.  I mean, she’s nice, I’m sure she has lots of friends, but I’ll talk to this other girl over here.   

 

I’d give it four stars if it were just Alkaline Trio and wasn’t an EP.  But it’s a split, so  I probably shouldn’t give it all four stars, so I’ll do the closest thing to it.

 

Let’s hope this EP is a precursor for Alkaline Trio’s greatest album.