Get Lyrical: Alkaline Trio Rework Favorites On "Damnesia"
posted in: Features • Rock
When we spoke with Airborne Toxic Event guitarist Steven Chen a few weeks ago, he remarked that a good song is a good song in any genre, and that a truly great song should sound great no matter which style it’s played in”be it punk, folk or country. Alkaline Trio must subscribe to the same school of thought, because the group is re-imagining old favorites on their upcoming release Damnesia. (Apparently Good Mourning and From Here to Infirmary weren’t the only dark puns the Illinois natives had up their sleeves.) But puns aside, hearing the excellent lyrics of classics like “Mercy Me” and “Calling All Skeletons” in a semi-unplugged state is a great reminder of why this band ruled so hard in the first place.
The first single from Damnesia is “Clavicle””one of the most joyous songs about unrequited love that we’ve ever heard. Originally found on Alkaline Trio’s 1998 debut Goddamnit, “Clavicle” is probably the closest the three have ever come to writing a love song. And even though their subject matter generally leans towards the macabre, they do a damn good job with sappier fare as well. The song is infused with cheer from the un
bridled joy of its opening line, “Been on top of the world since about six months ago/Marking the first time I laid eyes on you.” And it’s totally endearing how unabashedly straightforward frontman Matt Skiba is when he relays his desires in the song’s chorus: “I want to wake up naked next to you/kissing the curve of your clavicle.” Alas, “I’ve called you twice /It’s been a hellish fight/To not think about you all the time/Sitting around waiting for your call.” Girl must be blind, deaf or just heartless…why else wouldn’t she call him back? Our heart goes out you to, Matt Skiba. Still, isn’t it nice to hear Alkaline Trio singing about feelings instead of cannibalism?
You can give the revamped version of Clavicle a listen below to hear for yourself how well it translates from riotous, uptempo punk jam to melodic, acoustic love song. (Don’t worry, it hasn’t been slowed down that much.) And if the stripped down versions of the Alkaline Trio you’ve grown to love aren’t enough to convince you to pick up Damnesia, keep in mind that there are two new tracks on the album”Olde English 800 and I Remember A Rooftop”as well a cover of I Held Her In My Arms by eighties indie rock trio Violent Femmes. See? There’s something here for everyone.