Alkaline Trio
Damnesia
Epitaph (2011)
Score: 6/10
It’s no secret that Alkaline Trio is one of my all-time favorite bands. I’ve stuck with them through thick and thin and I’ve genuinely enjoyed every release the Chicago-based trio has put out thus far. This year marks the 15 year anniversary of Matt Skiba starting the band and they chose to celebrate by releasing Damnesia, an acoustic album featuring mostly reworked versions of some of the most popular songs in their catalogue. While the choice was met with a lot of online criticism, I for one was excited to see what they could do. I’ve enjoyed the Trio’s previous acoustic outings, including vocalist/guitarist Matt Skiba’s solo split with Kevin Seconds and songs like Blue In The Face and Enjoy Your Day, so Damnesia seemed right up my alley. However, the results here are a very mixed bag.
The band chose a new version of Goddammit’s Clavicle as the lead single, and the song works surprisingly well in an acoustic setting. It’s easy to forget how clever Skiba’s lyrics were right out of the gate, and this version puts a spotlight on the words of this rather unconventional love song about wanting to be “kissing the curve in your clavicle.” Mercy Me stands largely unchanged in an acoustic setting and it still has a catchy beat and perfect blend of Andriano’s and Skiba’s vocals. Every Thug Needs a Lady and Nose Over Tail are reimagined as minimalist songs. The slow tempo allows Andriano to really show off his vocal talents on Lady, while Skiba’s lyrical imagery shines on Tail. Blue in the Face, which first appeared as the acoustic closer to Good Mourning and was later released as an electric version appears here once again acoustic, though this time with a full band. Frankly, it’s not that different from the original, but the original remains one of my favorite Trio songs so that’s alright with me.
However, many tracks don’t fare so well. This Could Be Love’s morbid lyrics perfectly contrasted with one of the more straight forward pop punk riffs of the band’s career when it first appeared on Good Mourning. Here, the band uses a slower tempo and eerie piano that could be ripped straight from a b-movie, the distracting drum reverb accenting the cheese. Private Eye suffers from the same problem, with unnecessary drum reverb, out-of-place synth, and weird sound effects giving it an epic feel that just doesn’t fit with the lyrical content. The album closes with arguably the band’s most popular song, Radio, which works so well in its original form due to the intense passion in Skiba’s voice when he practically screams “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.” Radio is perfect as an angry song; slowed down, the song just comes off as silly.
Remakes aside, the best tracks on Damnesia are the original songs added for good measure. Skiba led Olde English 800 is short and sweet, a brief ode to one of his favorite liquors. The upbeat, sing-along inducing tale of how a sip from his favorite drink can turn “grey skies blue” is vintage Skiba subject matter. Andriano’s new contribution, I Remember A Rooftop is similarly a vintage topic for the crooner, a tale of bittersweet love backed by gentle strumming that has me excited to give Andriano’s new solo record a spin. While not a new song per se, I Held Her In My Arms is new to the Trio’s repertoire and honestly, I enjoy it more than the Violent Femmes original. In part, I just plain prefer Skiba’s voice to Gordon Gano’s, but it’s also just such a fun, cheery song about getting over an unrequited love that it’s hard not to smile and bob your head while listening to it.
For their anniversary, Alkaline Trio could have just chosen to cash in on a greatest hits album, so I applaud their decision and the effort put into making this acoustic reimagining. While far from perfect and not the first album I’d recommend to a Trio novice, it’s worth a listen for hardcore fans, just for the original tracks and the songs they did get right.
Damnesia is available now on Epitaph Records.
-Emily Matview
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