Alkaline Trio is most everything a rock band should be - catchy, melodic and full out rock. In their previous releases, "I Lied My Face Off" (EP) and "Maybe I'll Catch Fire" many people had a hard time classifying them because they had some punk in them but they were very rock. I don't think on this album people will have that hard of a time putting them in the punk category. Of course they had songs before that would fall into that category - but there seems to be more of those types of songs on this release.
As far as the strength of these songs - you have 12 tracks with next to no 'filler' songs. Two things make this better than their previous releases - lyrics and arrangement. The lyrics are a lot catchier and seem to be well thought out to fit with the melody lines. They've always seemed to have good, catchy lyrics (minus the cussing) - but most of these songs really have very memorable lyrics.
Now onto good arrangement. They have a few major arrangements and I agree with most of them. I won't bore you with those details - but the biggest part is they go to a third chorus (on the majority of the songs), which really rounds out the thought of a song. And the songs they don't go to the third chorus, I wish they did. But in most of these cases they put in a long bridge/outro, which is better than just ending it after the second chorus.
The production has been improved also, mainly in the mix. It totally sounds like an Alkaline Trio album because the same guy who's done all their other recordings, Matt Allison - produced it. All the tones are great - everything. But the mighty Jerry Finn mixed this one. So this sounds a lot less mushy than the other ones.
There's more separation and definition in just about everything. It sounds great. There's nothing that stands out as messing up this release. A couple things I would have liked are - less octaves, always going to third choruses, a stand out song like "Radio" or "Bleeder", more rock songs less punk songs. None of these are major deficiencies.
This album is great. I don't give out A's too much cause I think most albums aren't worth listening to. I only gave A's to Ghoti Hook and Vroom last year. This release certainly gets one.
I have been listening to this album non-stop since I got it. If you want a really good rock album with punk influences - Alkaline Trio's latest effort is the way to go.
A
Other coverage for this album
Decapolis 2001Reviewed by Tom BastianThe 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…Decapolis 2001Reviewed by Orville"Armageddon! Let the light in! Before we say goodbye, give us something to believe in. Armageddon we're not begging, for too much I don't think. Need a goodbye kiss before we sink..." The brand new release "From Here to Infirmary" from Chicago's latest and greatest, Alkaline Trio, picks up right where they left off with "Maybe I'll Catch Fire". The Trio impressed many with its first two…Similar sounding releases
2004Number One GunCelebrate Mistakes
2000MxPxThe Ever Passing Moment
2001Sum 41All Killer No Filler
2003HangnailTransparent
2002MillencolinHome From Home
2005AidenNightmare AnatomyMore from Alkaline Trio
2004BYO Records Split Series Volume V
2002Split
2000Maybe I'll Catch Fire
2005Crimson
1999I Lied My Face Off
