Alkaline Trio - Agony and Ivory

It's hard to believe that Alkaline Trio was once a punk band. When the group released their debut Goddammit back in 1998, original members Matt Skiba, Dan Adriano and Glenn Porter were a hardcore band that mixed thrashing punk with emo sensibilities, turning lyrics about aching hearts into abrasive kiss-offs. The Trio continued to put out albums and built a devoted fan base over the years, eventually swapping out Adriano and Porter for other musicians until finally settling on their current lineup, consisting of Skiba, Derek Grant and Dan Adriano.

Now, the group sounds like a completely different band on their newest and sixth studio album Agony and Irony. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's difficult to imagine what drove the group to shift their sound. What once was a raucous punk group is now an emo-rock outfit, but it seems to be a good match for the three amigos. While fans may have been a bit shaken up by the transition made obvious on their last album Crimson, Agony, their major label debut, shows the band comfortably settling into that new groove, making this record a pop confection that maintains the dark and brooding lyrics that first helped launch their career.