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Rating:
A "fiery" cover almost like an impressive apocalyptic vision, certainly the most unique and fascinating among those of the three Chicago-natives.
Second album for the Illinois band after the 1998 debut with "Goddamit!". Alkaline Trio are one of the most appreciated pop-punk bands in the States combining dark and melancholic atmospheres with emotional and catchy melodies.
In these ten songs that make up the album, you can perceive a group different from the current one. Compositions at times quite long that depart from the classic pop-punk structure. Certainly the most suffered and melancholic album in which the beautiful voices of Matt and Dan, guitarist and bassist of the combo, stand out. To clarify the main concept: more Get Up Kids than Blink 182, more emo-rock, less pop-punk. Indeed, a rather novel work, as we know them today.
The album is opened by "Keep 'em coming" with an excellent melody, notable tempo changes, powerful guitars, and a whiny voice, one of the best on the album. Next is the decent "Madame me" which unfolds over a series of octaves and the first ballad sung by Dan Andriano "I've got so far" where the difference in vocal timbres between the two voices emerges. Other sweet moments come from the longest track on the album, nearly five minutes "Fuck you aurora".
Following is a rather peculiar song "Sleepyhead" with a decidedly more rock 'n roll vibe. With the title-track excellently executed and anchored to a good melody and sung by the bassist, we return to good levels. There are also more frantic and fast-paced compositions with more punk-oriented rhythms: examples are the excellent "She tuck in" and "5-3 10-4" (a rather strange title!). In the middle, we find "She took him to the lake" which adds nothing new.
To close the work worthily, it could only be a historic anthem of the three, among the overall most beautiful songs of the alkaline and the one they always perform at the end of their concerts: the wonderful "Radio", (other than "Adam's song and such nonsense) a sweet ballad built on beautiful guitar arpeggios where all the expressiveness and the beautiful vocal timbre of Matt Skiba emerge, alternating with that of Dan Andriano. Truly a little gem that exudes emotions and feelings during its 4'40".
This last track is emblematic of why it is reductive to define Alkaline Trio as a simple and nondescript pop-punk band for American garden parties, a fact also evident from the dark lyrics that speak of death, and macabre situations, as well as drugs and alcohol. Although this is the album that, musically, is less dark.
An essential production characterized by direct sounds, with no particular additions in the arrangements, as will happen in the future.
Some final notes:
Line Up:
Here behind the drums, we still find Mike Feumlee, who after this album will leave the band to pursue a solo career. He will be replaced by Derek Grant.
Label:
The record is released under the aegis of Asian Man Records, and in more recent times, given the success of the next album, it will be reprinted with four bonus tracks.
Significant songs:
"Keep 'em coming", "She tuck in", "Radio".
Don't know them? Try searching for "Private eye," "This could be love," or "Time to waste" which fully represent their musical style.
In conclusion "Maybe I'll Catch Fire" is a good work that shows us the early days of Alkaline Trio, worth listening to if you're a fan, although the peaks will arrive later with "From Here To Infirmary" and "Crimson".
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
04 Fuck You Aurora (04:49)
My, my what a mess we've made of our pretty little heads these days.
It appears a heavy wind's blown through here recently.
Best wishes have been made for you, you never had no say it's true.
You have to be the cutest gravedigger I've ever seen.
And all your lonely nights in the city of lights are much like
all these crowded bars I so often find my stupid self stumbling through.
My, my what a mess was made of my head
when I heard what you'd been through that day
It appears a violent storm's passed through you recently.
Letters meant to be sent have been torn.
The phone lies off the hook, on the floor.
All these "I'm sorry"s and "I miss you"s are useless,
I fucked this one up long ago.
And all your lonely nights in the city of lights are much like
all these crowded bars I so often find my stupid self stumbling through.
Fuck you Aurora,
You took my only friend.
And although it's all my fault,
the blaming myself had to come to an end
so I say:
Fuck you Aurora,
You took my only friend.
You wont catch me behind the wheel of a Chrysler ever again.
My, my what a mess we've made of our precious little lives these days.
It appears a big fucking tornado has twisted us up recently.
Best wishes have been made for you, you never had no say it's true.
You have to be the cutest gravedigger I've ever seen.
And all your lonely nights in the city of lights are much like
all these crowded bars I so often find my stupid self stumbling through.
Fuck you Aurora,
You took my only friend.
And although it's all my fault,
the blaming myself had to come to an end
so I say:
Fuck you Aurora,
You took my only friend.
You won't catch me behind the wheel of a Chrysler ever again.
05 Sleepyhead (03:56)
All you've been asking for's been placed in front of you.
The headaches, the shaking, the boredom the boardroom brings.
You're scratching at itching brought by the spiders beneath your skin.
The answer in question is over before it begins.
Hey there sleepy smile,
I see you've brought your bedroom eyes.
Not assuming you wanna keep 'em,
I'm assuming you reckon you won't.
All you've been asking for's been placed in front of you.
The headaches, the shaking, the boredom the boardroom brings.
You're scratching at itching brought by the spiders beneath your skin.
The answer in question is over before it begins.
Hey there sleepy smile,
I see you've brought your bedroom eyes.
Not assuming you wanna keep 'em,
I'm assuming you reckon you won't.
Nothing to see here but the rain.
There's nothing to hold you but the flames.
Nothing to see here but the rain.
There's nothing to hold you but the flames.
Nothing to see here but the rain.
There's nothing to hold you but the flames.
Nothing to see here but the rain.
It's raining flames.
Earth to sleepy smile,
Where'd you take those bedroom eyes?
Not assuming you wanna keep 'em,
I'm assuming you reckon you won't.
07 Tuck Me In (02:39)
Tuck me into where it's freezing,
Tuck me into bed with snakes.
Tuck me in with the tarantulas,
I wanna let 'em in my mouth and down my throat to lay their eggs.
Tuck me into where there's bleeding,
Where it spills out of the walls onto the floor.
Tuck me into where your best friend's apologies amount to shit,
they always did, for ever more.
I pour out onto the floor like liquid white from fallen glass,
Nothing to cry over
My skin went sour long ago
It knew it had noplace left to go.
Tuck me into where I'm falling,
Where I can feel the heat rise underneath my wings.
and all the fallen angels in hell will tuck me away from you,
take me away from everything.
Tuck me into where there's dying,
Tuck me in with flames and tuck me in with flies,
Maybe then you will appreciate your only friend
with maggots in her eyes or as ashes in the sky.
I pour out onto the floor like liquid white from fallen glass,
Nothing to cry over
My skin went sour long ago
It knew it had no place left to go.
I pour out onto the floor like liquid white from fallen glass,
Nothing to cry over
My skin went sour long ago
It knew it had no place left to go.
08 She Took Him to the Lake (02:40)
Do you remember the story of the boy and his first date?
She took him to the lake and he fell in love.
She spent one summer waking up between his arms.
She told him how good that felt, told him he was the one.
And then she went away, his calls were not returned.
He went to see her but her eyes were burning a different stare.
The focus was somewhere else.
And that feeling had somehow disappeared.
Do you remember when they both drove out of state?
Stealing kisses behind her cousins back,
with a love so strong tell me who could wait
When it seems so right and it feels so right, then is has to be right.
When it seems so right and it feels so right, then is has to be right
(Gotta be right)
When it seems so right and it feels so right, then it has to be right.
When it seems so right and it feels so right, then it has to be right.
But then she went away and she's not coming back
and I'm pretty sure that boy is staying in tonight.
10 Radio (04:41)
Shaking like a dog shittin' razorblades,
waking up next to nothing after dreaming of you and me
I'm waking up all alone, waking up so relieved
while you're taking your time with apologies,
I'm making my plans for revenge
Red eyes on orange horizons
If Columbus was wrong I'd drive straight off the edge
I'd drive straight off the edge
Taking your own life with boredom,
I'm taking my own life with wine -
it helps you to rule out the sorrow,
it helps me to empty my mind
Making the most of a bad time
I'm smoking the brains from my head
Leaving the coal calling the kettle black and orange and red
This kettle is seeing red
I've got a big fat fuckin' bone to pick with you my darling
In case you haven't heard I'm sick and tired of trying
I wish you would take my radio to bathe with you,
plugged in and ready to fall
Shaking like a dog shittin' razorblades,
waking up next to nothing after dreaming of you and me
I'm waking up all alone, waking up so relieved
while you're taking your time with apologies,
I'm planning out my revenge
Red eyes on orange horizons
If Columbus was wrong I'd drive straight off the edge
I'm seeing red
I've got a big fat fuckin' bone to pick with you my darling
In case you haven't heard I'm sick and tired of trying
I wish you would take my radio to bathe with you,
plugged in and ready to fall
Plugged in and ready to fall
Plugged in and ready to fall
Plugged in and ready to fall
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