The Alkaline Trio is one of those bands that I fell in love with the minute I first heard them. It was back in my days in college radio when Asian Man Records sent our radio station a copy of the first Alkaline Trio full length. I remember playing the heck out of that CD. Out of all the other "punk rock" bands out at the time the Alkaline Trio had something that helped them stand apart from the rest. That something was the duel vocal stylings of Matt Skiba and Dan Andriano as well as the drumming of Glenn Porter. Well Glenn is no longer in the band and an equally amazing drummer named Mike Felumlee (formerly of the Smoking Popes) has stepped in. "From Here to Infirmary" is a bit more polished and "punk rock" then their previous releases but just as good if not better than anything else the bands has released. They have also seemed to lose some of the more indie/emo touches that the first full-length had. The lyrics are still just as catchy, melodic and creative as before and Matt and Dan's vocals are stronger than ever. In the past Matt tended to have the stronger vocals and that still holds true. But on this release Dan's vocals are at an all time best. Dan actually sings lead on one of my favorite tracks on this release; "I'm Dying Tomorrow". The opening track "Private Eye" makes for my favorite Alkaline Trio song to date. It has this groove that just seems to move you and the lyrics are very catchy as well. Like most of the bands on the Vagrant Records roster the Alkaline Trio are really taking off. This is a band worth checking out.
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The Alkaline Trio Is...
Matt Skiba - Lead Vocals, Guitar
Daniel Andriano - Vocals, Bass
Mike Felumlee - Drums
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Song Reviews
Private Eye - This song throws you in for a thrill ride of an album. It starts off really edgy and suddenly drops into creative lyrics about a crime scene investigation. The lyrics really stand out on this song. I can't get off of this track, I always find myself listening to it whenever I can. It's really cool, in the middle of the song Matt says, "Maybe I'll find me a suspect that has no allllllllaaaaaaaaabi". In my opinion, the best song on the album.
(10/10)
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Mr. Chainsaw - With a name like Mr. Chainsaw the song maintains a cheerful sound throughout. The drum rolls here are as fast as ever. It's a very fast and energetic song. It rocks out loud! Matt lets the vocals fly here. They just sound like they're flying out of his mouth. One of my favorites on the album.
(9/10)
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Take Lots With Alcohol - A nifty drum solo occupies he intro to this song. This is a song about a disoriented person who seems to have no idea where they are. This song sound really punky. It has the classic feel that the trio gave with Goddammit. The lyrical value here is pretty good. This song just doesn't seem to standout though.
(7/10)
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Stupid Kid - The intro sounds like a Blink song. Then it slowly goes into familiar grounds and sounds like the trio. This is a really energetic and fast song. Now this track stands out. It sounds completely different. This song just seems happy. That is not a very common felling when listening to them. It's a really short and sweet song. A little too short.
(8/10)
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Another Innocent Girl - A little slower than the other songs on this album. It also sounds really poppy. Actually it sounds nothing like the trio at all. Until the chorus then it sounds a little familiar. Other than that, give me this song unlabeled, and I'll have no idea who it was. But even though it doesn't sound like them, it's still an okay song. But it is not a personal favorite.
(6.5/10)
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Steamer Truck - The intro starts with a whine of WHYYYYYYYYY. I thought it was a good hook to lure me into the song. This is a really cool song. It has the perfect elements of a pop/punk song, which the Alkaline Trio pretty much created. This seems like a song that they really tried hard with. I like it. It's cool. Nothing more. Just cool.
(8/10)
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You're Dead - I can't tell if this song is sorrowful or not. With lines like "If assholes could fly this place would be busier than O'Hare". It's lyrics like these that leave me confused at weather it's... HAHA YOU'RE DEAD! or I'm so sad you're dead. It's really weird. I have no idea what the fictional character in this song is feeling. I don't really like this song.
(5/10)
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Armageddon - This is definitely the greatest song by the Trio. It's my favorite of theirs. The lyrics a phenomenal. "I wrote the words on the back of your photograph, on your back it goes...". This song rocks. Not to mention, it's also on the Tony Hawk's Underground soundtrack. This song bleeds aggression and pain. This is the reason I bought the album. Best song on the album. Enough said.
(11/10)
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I'm Dying Tomorrow - This song starts off with moaning, It’s pretty sad, it's about a guy reminiscing about his past and to see hoe good of a life he lived. It's really depressing. to hear a guy go on about how he tries to remember if he accomplished enough to live happy. It's a really good song. One of my favorites.
(9/10)
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Bloodied Up - This song throws you into a mess of fast guitar and cool vocals. It's a really fun song, despite the title. It has this really cool sound that sounds like, half punk, half emo. It's just a cool feeling. The song also has cool lyrics like "I left you bloodied up...". It just has a cool tone. One of my favorites.
(10/10)
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Trucks And Trains - This song has a really catchy bass line. It’s nothing special but it’s one of those cool extras you get to a good punk song. It has lots of energy, It’s one of those adrenaline type songs. Especially the chorus, it rocks out loud. I like this song. Not as much as the others, but it is really good.
(8/10)
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Crawl – This song starts off much slower than the previous twelve. The verses are occupied with slow singing, almost like a whisper. The bass line is also pretty cool here. Once again, nothing special but it sounds good with the rest of the song. This is an OKAY outro to a great album. But I like fast songs to close an album. Rarely do I like a slow song.
(8/10)
Conclusion
Overall this is a great album from a band that is slowly rising in the punk industry of the music biz. If you like the alkaline trio then you’ll like this album. If you’ve never heard of them, you’ll like the album. If you like punk then go out and pick up, From Here To Infirmary, by The Alkaline Trio
OVERALL SCORE (9/10)
