On My Shame Is True¸ Alkaline Trio shows
why they have been a major player in the Chicago hardcore scene for almost 17
years. On their most recent output since 2010's acoustic-tinged Damnesia, Alkaline Trio displays no sign
of losing energy or ability to write darkened, bleak lyrics.
My Shame is True finds the Trio fixing
the flaws that were present on their last full effort, This Addiction. Gone are the gimmicky 80's synthesizers and
trumpets; simple driving bass-lines and attacking barre chords are back in the
forefront. This is necessary because it is in this simplicity where Alkaline
Trio thrives; simple melodies that infect you, causing you to sing along with
their lyrics of death and depression. These melodies are highly developed on My Shame is True and are best displayed
on the tracks "I'm Only Here to Disappoint" and the lead single
" I Wanna Be A Warhol"
One
thing that sets Alkaline Trio apart from other bands is that they have two
capable, lead vocalists and songwriters in Dan Andriano and Matt Skiba. What is
most appealing, however, is when they work together, like on "She Lied to
the FBI", where the harmonizing vocals are done perfectly. To further
strengthen the vocal talent on My Shame
Is True, Alkaline Trio recruited Tim McIlrath (of Rise Against) for the
hardcore tinged " I, Pessimist" and Brendan Kelly (of The Lawrence
Arms) on "I Wanna Be a Warhol". Both of these guest vocals are done
tastefully and the former track, "I, Pessimist", is a brilliant
back-and-forth punk "duet".
The
major drawback to My Shame is True is
that it loses the interest of the listener at the half-way mark. Although the
first half of the album is strong, the latter tracks drag on, producing few
memorable moments and at times the songs become difficult to differentiate.
Even with this though, Alkaline Trio still have produced a handful of
highly-successful songs and continue to find relevance in today's scene 17
years after their inception.
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