Good Mourning [Digipak] - Alkaline Trio > Reviews > Good Mourning to you

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Outstanding
Value for Money	Good

Advantages:	packed full of lyrical goodies
Disadvantages:	one or two slightly weaker songs

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I bought this album after attending and absolutely loving my first Alkaline Trio live show. I had heard several random tracks before that, but this was the first proper album that I bought of theirs - I then listened to it non-stop for two weeks, and is still my favourite album of theirs now!

Alkaline Trio are a three-strong band of what I like to call the Dark Punk genre. They play punk rock-esque riffs, but in a very minor-sounding key, as if they had been recorded over a wall of black noise, if you can imagine that. This combined with the fact that the lyrics are very introspective and mostly regretful make this music the perfect music to listen to whilst depressed and alone in your room, it feels like you can really identify the lyricist, Matt Skiba, as if he wrote these words whilst sitting alone in his bedroom. However, having said this, the songs are by no means devoid of energy or life, in fact some of their songs are the most energetic and passionate music in any genre remotely like this! So this isn't Just depressive music, it's also good for listening to when you're happy too.

Anyway, enough generalities about my favourite band, and down to this album. Good Mourning is comprised of twelve solid songs, as well as two bonus ones if you're lucky. These are:

1. This Could Be Love
2. We've Had Enough
3. One Hundred Stories
4. Continental
5. All On Black
6. Emma
7. Fatally Yours
8. Every Thug Needs A Lady
9. Blue Carolina
10. Donner Party (All Night)
11. If We Never Go Inside
12. Blue In The Face
13. Dead End Road (Bonus Track)
14. Old School Reasons (Bonus Track)

All of these songs are strong in my opinion, each is as good as the last, although having said this the first is one of my favourites!

This Could Be Love has a very catchy tune and some crazily inspired lyrics. You might find yourself singing along to it in public, but be warned, the lyrics are explicitly about being killed so you might get some funny looks! However, despite the macabre content, the song is fairly light and upbeat, which is what makes it stick in your head so well.

We've Had Enough is the first single that the Trio released from this album, and is very fast paced and aggressive. Very good to dance to! More introspective lyrics and less about death here, just sinisterness!

One Hundred Stories is the first song on the album sung by secondary vocalist/bassist Dan. I personally don't like Dan's voice as much as lead singer/guitarist Matt's, but this is just a personal opinion. The song itself is quite mellow, much slower than the previous two.

Continental is a nice song, starting with a quirky riff, and offers some lyrical gems about relationship death.

All On Black was the second single released from this album, and is another of my favourites. It's quite slow starting but I like the lyrics, they're full of interesting metaphors.

Emma is a relatively cheerful song, and is another song by Dan.

Fatally Yours is another fast paced song, very uplifting! Despite more macabre lyrics..

Every Thug Needs A Lady is not one of my favourite songs, it's a bit weaker than most of the others.

Blue Carolina is a very theatrical song, full of big flourishes and guitar stab, and features one of my favourite lines: 'I can't wait til I feel the sun and your lips both pressing on my skin.' A happy, romantic, song.

Donner Party is a very punky song, another fast paced song, and we're back to Matt's refreshing voice.

If We Never Go Inside is a bit weak, not one of my favourites, starts slow and never really goes anywhere.

Blue In The Face is an amazing song. It's acoustic - just an acoustic guitar and a voice. It's very sombre and the lyrics are sublime. It closes the album proper with a very fitting line: 'what do you say? your coffin or mine?' which sums up the whole album very nicely I think, joining Alkaline Trio's two favourite topics together: love, and death.

This album is a step away from the Trio's usually very raw punk sound, it seems more polished than previous releases. Some people might consider this a bad thing, even call it selling out, but I for one think it is a good thing.

I would like to stress to anyone who has not heard them before that despite the depressing and macabre lyrics, the songs themselves do not wallow in misery, and won't drag you down!

I would definitely recommend this album to any fan of this kind of music, and recommend it even more to anyone who isn't. It is my favourite Trio album, and I think it is a good place to start with them.
So what DO you say, your coffin, or mine?