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Rating:
Far from the media echo that Europe has used to seduce other stars and stripes formations, one cannot say that Alkaline Trio have been so far an evanescent shooting star.
Here we are at the dawn of their history and stylistically far from the wave fascinations of “Crimson”, the 2005 maturation album (but what does that mean anyway?!) and their definitive consecration as well as the midstream turn of “Agony & Irony”.
1998. The lineup is the classic alkaline trio: Matt Skiba (vocals and guitar) – Dan Andriano (vocals and bass) – Glan Porter (drums). The difference from today is the absence of loyal Derek Grant who would replace Mike Feumlee behind the stool and enter the band only in 2001.
It's the sparkling notes of the changeable “Cringe” that open “Goddamnit” followed in quick succession first by “Cop”, then by the mid-tempo “San Francisco” and the sudden burst painted in their classic “Nose Over Tail” that make us realize that what we have in front of us are still young guys with a precarious emotional balance as demonstrated by the lyrics, naive and brash like Green Day could be in '92 when they recorded “Kerplunk!” for Lookout: here only the scenario changes— we are not in California, but in the grayer and less charming Chicago, Illinois by the shores of Lake Michigan, yet the spirit is the same, bare and raw punk rock, stripped of any preposterous frills.
The Lookout! of the situation here is called Asian Man under which they will record two years later the best-seller number #2 “Maybe I'll Catch Fire”, ending their first activity period before moving to Vagrant.
The perfectly fitting and leading riff of “Clavicle” immediately brings to mind the famous “Dammit” by Blink-182 and it would be interesting to understand who plagiarized whom, given the evident similarity in rhythm and melody of the two and the close release period of both. But let's pretend nothing happened.
The hidden gems are “Enjoy Your Day” and “Sorry About That” where Skiba and Andriano lay bare relying only on the sincerity of the acoustics and the result is perfectly achieved.
From “Goddamnit” to “My Shame Is True” the temporal distance covered is considerable, there is the maturation of boys today aware of having become men in all aspects.
And fortunately, this review will not end with the classic hope directed to some god of a return to the beginnings to reignite the fire long extinguished, because let's face it, they have kept their promises, nothing more can be asked, one can only give the respect they deserve to what in hindsight remains the best pop-punk-rock band on the scene. That is enough.
Thank you alkaline ones.
PS: The version I analyzed is the 2008 reissue almost identical to the original, retaining its spartan production if not for the addition of the band's first demo, a different cover, and above all, improved audio quality.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Cringe (02:25)
Wide eyed.
Knee deep in surprise.
Just below your thighs the temperature drops 5 degrees.
Your stand-by flight has just arrived.
Tongue-tied bleeding from your eyes.
even Christ himself would cringe at the sight of your scars
While you're counting sheep,
I'll count my lucky stars.
You were the last good thing I ever saw.
I lost it all
I lost it all
Burned out on 2 hours of shut-eye.
Eyes glazed at the thought of the next 8 hours.
Headwind cold rain to wake me.
You were the last good thing I ever saw.
02 Cop (02:20)
Wonder what it was that made you this way.
Maybe as a baby you dropped your rattle
and it still rattles you to this day.
You better practice your evil looks in the mirror,
they don't work on me.
Slowly crawling up from the down low.
The other cops still call you 'fatso'.
Short fuse and a top to blow.
Unhappy wife.
Shitty life.
Hit the bottle.
Your whole world dropped from under you.
Left you with sorry excuses.
Left you with meaningless things to prove,
like why you became a cop.
Why did you become a cop?
Wonder what it was that made you this way.
Maybe as a kid your toys were taken away.
And it still toys with you to this day.
You better practice your evil looks in the mirror,
they don't work on me.
Slowly crawling up from the down low.
The other cops still call you 'fatso'.
Short fuse and a top to blow.
Unhappy wife.
Shitty life.
Hit the bottle
Your whole world dropped from under you.
Left you with sorry excuses.
Left you with meaningless things to prove,
like why you became a cop.
Why did you become a cop?Shut the fuck up.
After my court date,
I'll forget about you.
I'll tell my cellmate.
I'll forget about you.
After the jail break,
I'll forget about you.
After I'm through singing this song,
I'll forget about you, I'll forget about you!
03 San Francisco (03:54)
Choking on the thought of leaving,
Drinking to keep from sobbing
4pm, 4 dollar pints - SFO - the time and price.
With all my happiness aborted, the PA painfully starts boarding
I sink deep - 30 thousand feet into my window seat - electric chair
and I was drinking you goodbye
A heart floats in the bay
From sour home Chicago
I hear it beating far away
There's no telling what I'll do
If I don't return to you.
Hopeful thoughts of soon returning,
can't put out my stomach burning.
Plastic wings and plastic smiles
Unsalted peanuts stretch my miles.
Choking on the thought of leaving,
Drinking to keep from heaving
5pm 5 dollar pints - Hellbound Airlines - time and price.
and I was drinking you goodbye
A heart floats in the bay
From sour home Chicago
I hear it beating far away
There's no telling what I'll do
If I don't return to you.
I was drinking you goodbye
A heart floats in the bay
From sour home Chicago
I hear it beating far away
There's no telling what I'll do
If I don't return to you.
04 Nose Over Tail (02:41)
crack my head open on your kitchen floor
to prove to you that i have brains
meanwhile tin men are led by little girls
down golden roads that lead to nowhere
fine time to fake a seizure
feel your mouth on mine,
youre saving me
whatever happened to that silly dream you had?
i want to make it real
i'd love to rub your back
like a plane crash that never hits the ground
i fall in love with you
nose over tail
your voice like the sound of sirens to a house on fire
you're saving me
06 Enjoy Your Day (02:19)
So where'd you go?
How was your vacation home?
Well obviously you were busy, too busy for me
So this is how you leave me?
I'm broken hearted on the floor,
My tears seep through the crack under my door
where I am locked in, shut down, I'm so tired of picking myself up off the ground.
So Happy Valentine's Day
I hope the sun's out in New York
I hope he bought you roses
I hope he bought you roses
So Happy Valentine's Day
I hope the sun's out in New York
I hope he bought you roses
I hope he bought you roses
07 Clavicle (02:30)
Been on top of the world since about six months ago,
Marking the first time I laid eyes on you.
I lost all train of thought as I entered the room,
Saw what looked like really good food then I saw you and so did you.
I wanna wake up naked next to you,
Kissing the curve in your clavicle.
Kissing your clavicle.
Been on top of the world since about 1 week ago,
Marking a time when I was drunk enough to talk to you.
I lost all train of thought as your eyes met mine,
Told you I thought you were gorgeous, you gave me your phone number I gave you mine.
Before you left I said that you can bet I'll be bothering you soon
You said "No bother, please do"
I've called you twice
It's been a hellish fight to not think about you all the time
Sitting around waiting for your call
I wanna wake up naked next to you,
Kissing the curve in your clavicle.
Kissing your clavicle.
I wanna wake up naked next to you,
Kissing the curve in your clavicle.
09 Southern Rock (03:09)
I can't believe my hearts still pounding
I can't believe how close i came
and meanwhile heavens falling
Fallen angels flown away
and that'll be me someday
With stolen wings and evil ways
Straight south with the keys to the pearly gates
Hard to believe my heart stopped pounding
Hard to believe i played this game,
My worst nightmares became real
I got so scared that i forgot my name
and that'll be me someday
With stolen wings and evil ways
Straight south with the keys to the pearly gates
10 Message From Kathlene (03:21)
I guess I'll always stop and see you
and we'll run into each other's lives
Yeah, I guess. Although it tears me up inside.
Everytime it burns my eyes with tears.
But I know you're worth the pain.
I've so much more to gain by waiting for you.
You're going away but you're not going far
so if he decides to leave you alone and crying,
you know I'm still here, the faithful one,
waiting for a message from Kathlene
Then I'll come.. faster..
than I ever thought that I could run..
Cause I...
I need you more than I ever thought that I could need someone
Someone Someone Someone else
I know I will always stop and see you
and we'll run into each other's fucked up lives
Yeah, I guess. Although it tears me up inside.
Everytime it burns my eyes with tears.
But your waking up is the start of my lost cause.
And then you decide to leave me alone and crying.
But you know I'm still here, the faithful one,
waiting for a message from Kathlene
Then I'll come.. faster..
than I ever thought that I could run..
Cause I...
I need you more than I ever thought that I could need someone
Someone Someone Someone else
11 Trouble Breathing (03:57)
You told me that you want to die
I said I've been there myself more than a few times
And I go back every once in a while
You called me lucky, you.. you called me lucky.
You said tonight is a wonderful night to die
I asked you how you could tell you told me to look at the sky
Look at all those stars,
Look at how goddamn ugly the stars are.
It's one or another
Between a rope and a bottle
I can tell you're having trouble breathing
Cuz you'll never be OK
You'll never be OK
(You'll always be in pain)
You'll always feel this way
Cuz things they never work out right
(the wrong way the lonely way)
You'll always be in pain
You told me that the daylight burns you
and that the sunrise was enough to kill you
I said maybe you're a vampire
You said it's quite possible I feel truly dead inside.
It's one or another
Between a rope and a bottle
I can tell you're having trouble breathing
Cuz you'll never be OK
You'll never be OK
(You'll always be in pain)
You'll always feel this way
Cuz things they never work out right
(the wrong way the lonely way)
You'll always be in pain
Don't forget to let your life rot you inside out.
Don't forget to let your life rot you inside out.
Don't forget to let your life rot you inside out.
12 Sorry About That (03:19)
It hasn't been that long
Since we drank to the sunset.. until it was gone
and down with it went our pain and fear
as we slowly broke contact more and more with every beer
and we passed out in each other's arms
both admitting we'd never felt better
Never felt so warm
But awoke in each other's eyes
Without wearing a stitch of clothing
we were both deeply in disguise
and maybe I just set aside the fact that you were broken hearted
In my own special selfish way
and if I hadn't set aside the fact that you were broken hearted
Hell knows where your heart would be today
Maybe with me
It seems like it's been so long since we kissed through the darkness until it was dawn
Up with it came our pain and fear
that we'd already lost each other
We both knew that the end was near
maybe I just set aside the fact that you were broken hearted
In my own special selfish way
and if I hadn't set aside the fact that you were broken hearted
Hell knows where your heart would be today
Maybe with me
Maybe with me
Maybe with me maybe with me maybe with me maybe with me
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