Alkaline Trio
My Shame Is True

I've been following them for a long time; they are probably the band that, over the years when tastes tend to form and evolve, have always remained a constant and not a memory to reject in favor of a new musical path.

The return to the original form had already happened with the previous “This Addiction” which brought the band back to a primordial dimension more fitting with their origins compared to the more mainstream-oriented “Agony and Irony” of 2008, which was abundant in the use of effects and instrumentation.

This album being reviewed here, let it be clear, operates in a very crowded field and charts coordinates already traversed by others, but with a class that few possess in the pop-punk realm.

This album delineates the groove between an album of this genre conceived and recorded today in the mainstream realm and under an indie label.

And you can tell by the sounds, never invasive nor overproduced, a straightforward pop-punk from Alkaline Trio enhanced further by the two voices, the sharper one of Matt Skiba and the other more muffled yet equally loaded of Dan Andriano, who create individually thrilling moments like the solid opening trio “She lied to the FBI” - “I wanna be a warhol” (the lead single) and “I'm only here to disappoint”, not to forget “The temptation of St. Anthony”, the splendid and romantic “Young lovers” sung by Andriano, and “I, pessimist” featuring Tim McIlrath from Rise Against. It closes by softening the tones with the acoustic guitar of “Until death do us part”.

“Shame Is True” represents how a pop-punk record should be made and played in 2013, devoid of experimentation, advertising jingles, and considering the lesson of those who started playing this genre thirty years ago outside of any marketing strategy.

Long live the alkaline ones!

PS: To the fans, I also recommend giving a listen to “Broken Wing” EP, a 4-song accompaniment to the official CD, which is also included in the deluxe version of the album.