Alkaline Trio - Damnesia
Normally, a re-imagining of earlier material passed off as a new album would be cheap and lazy.
Usually, it is, but Alkaline Trio can be forgiven, seeing as they released This Addiction only last year.
Since then, the band have been working on these reinterpretations of songs from across their extensive back catalogue (plus two new tracks and a cover).
This album has been a bit of a mystery for Trio fans, as 'Clavicle' (as the preview single for the album) sounded just like an acoustic version of the original with drums.
Some of the tracks do feel like straight acoustic (with percussion) versions of their originals, but Damnesia has more than enough gems to make this special.
'The American Scream' (from last year's album) has gone from a classic Trio punk-rocker to a beautiful piano-led ballad that gives the track soul it only hinted at originally.
Adding percussion to what are primarily acoustic tracks can sometimes lessen their impact, but Derek Grant's beats ensure this album still has Alkaline Trio's trademark sound.
Songs like 'Clavicle' and 'Mercy Me' keep the classic Trio energy, whilst 'Calling All Skeletons' opens unpredictably enough.
It's just as exciting opening Damnesia as the 'full band' version was on Agony & Irony.
'I Held Her In My Arms' is a wonderful cover of the Violent Femmes track, done straight-up (despite the acoustic guitars) with a guitar solo replacing the saxaphone line. It's still a pretty faithful version that feels like Trio having fun.
Of the two new songs, 'Olde English 800' is the shortest, and is a rare moment of optimism from Alkaline Trio.
'I Remember A Rooftop' is a typical Trio punk-rock track, despite being stripped down to vocals and guitar.
The collection is rounded off well towards the end with a haunting re-working of 'Private Eye' and a beautiful version of 'You've Got So Far To Go'.
Damnesia ends with an interesting working of 'Radio' that adds some percussion to big introduction, before dropping to vocals and guitar for the start of a brilliant verse.
Pianos, harmonies and the main riff unchanged, this just songs 'big' and 'epic', reaching even greater heights when it finally kicks into the venemous, emotion-driven chorus.
Damnesia does well to cover Alkaline Trio's back catalogue across its 15 tracks, whilst the new material and cover add something completely fresh.
These new interpretations range from subtle to grand, but nearly always work, making for a great celebration of Alkaline Trio's 15 years as a band.
Female First - Alistair McGeorge