Where are all the radios you want me to take to bathe with me? What happened to wishing you’d catch fire just to have something warm to hold you? Save for some skeleton in the closet references things are a lot more upbeat on the band’s 6th album Agony and Irony. Apparently singer/guitarist Matt Skiba has found transcendental meditation and no longer fears death, which is great for him but takes something away from the Alkaline Trio of the past.

I’m not trying to claim that only fear, sadness and depression bring about good music, but these guys are at their best when they tackle themes of life and death, which here they do a lot more subtly. With handclaps and a catchy guitar riff, “Calling All Skeletons” is an ode to their past. “Help Me”, inspired by the Ian Curtis biopic Control, tackles suicide while “I Found Away” begins with a little Dante’s Inferno. These things are not nearly as dark sounding, but with synthy elements evoke a little 80s new wave, which seems fitting. Other songs like the ballady “Live Young Die Fast” and the teeny bopper punk of “Love Love Kiss Kiss” don’t have the catchiness of past Alk3 songs. But the chorus of “Don’t You Want To Know?” is sentimental without getting cheesy. Dan Adriano uses the falsetto and asks, “Do you want to know where my love is?/ Don’t say no” over some powerful guitars.

There is no doubt that with this album these Chicagoans have grown up and honestly it’s not a bad effort. Diehards might be upset by the lack of macabre imagery, but will probably truck along. They’ll most likely pick up some new fans thanks in part to a recent appearance on The Hills (looking as uncomfortable as ever). Hopefully though the newbies will go back and take a listen to what the band was doing when they still thought death was scary.

- Shannon Carlin