Alkaline Trio
Well, well, new album, new single! 'Time to waste' is not only the first single but the first track on the album Crimson. It's there to hook you right in. Once you listen to it, you're caught in the web. The ominous piano means something, lurking in he darkness before the song leaps out all slashing claws and spitting, staccato guitars. Iit's an old trick, but God damn it, it works!
They've come a long way since the booze fuelled days of the 'For Your Lungs Only' EP. Their brand of dark, poppy punk is much less about drowning away sorrows. I'm not sure if it's an improvement, it's just different, more radio friendly, probably too friendly for a lot of people. Their fan base has shifted with the gradual changes bought about under the wing of Jerry Finn.
It's the most mature and ambitious stuff to date; is this a bid to follow in the footsteps of Green Day? Let's sit back and see if it works.