Alkaline Trio - Is This Thing Cursed? (August 31, 2018) Album • Page 48

holy shit, y'all. what did we do to deserve "Stay"??

 

I think I can hold out one more day. You all have me so pumped for this though.

 

Best moment on the album is the nice little shoutout to two other Trio songs by Dan during “Stay.”

“Krystalline” and “Demon” are my two favorites after two listens. “Little Help” is a sweet little twangy Social D nod, which I love.

 

Okay, “Throw Me to the Lions” and “Stay” are also both on the shortlist, too. This will all rapidly, and constantly, shift around as this will be all I listen to for a few days (read: weeks).

“Goodbye Fire Island” gives me heavy blink vibes, tbh. The way Matt sings a couple lines and some production elements just remind me of Cali.

 

my first impressions:

Dan songs are fantastic as always but way too goddamn short. they all easily could have stayed an extra minute each without wearing out their welcome

Heart Attacks and Throw Me to the Lions are my favourite Matt songs in years, just simple glorious catchy bops

I totally understand why they went with that opening trio of songs and why they were all singles, but they really created the impression there'd be a lot more Matt/Dan vocal alternating throughout the rest of the album which there was... none of whatsoever

this album is fucking fantastic

 

"I told you I quit drinking and you laughed till you saw stars"

 

"Pale Blue Ribbon" is just a gift.

 

Goddammit I can’t wait till I get home from driving to hear this

 

I’m resisting the leak.

RELEASE DAY OR BUST

 

Holding out until Friday unless a legit stream comes (which is unlikely?)

 

I’ve been downloading music and leaks since I was like 15. All of the sudden I turned 24 and I’ve unleashed hell and viruses onto my computer with every leak I download now.

I think I’ll wait until Friday for this one ONLY cause I got two fantasy drafts this weekend and can’t risk my computer. I’m dying inside.

 

Since the album leaked I've made my first impression blog about the album free for all readers:

Alkaline Trio - Is This Thing Cursed? • chorus.fm

 

Easily a top 3 Trio record for me. My favorite tracks are Is This Thing Cursed and Krystalline so far.

 

I live in New Zealand so i can hold off for another 9 or so hours until it's on Spotify. Last day of winter + midnight is the best time to list to Trio.

 

Feed me pills and happy meals.

 

WOW this thing RULES. Best album in over a decade from them. The Dan songs on this absolutely Fuck. Little Help is probably the weakest song on here but damn its still like a solid song in their catalog and would be a stronger song on the last 3 albums. Im shocked because I thought the pre release songs were really strong, but I think the second half is actually the better half. Stay and Pale Blue Ribbon are early favorites but so could anything else on it tbh. They've billed the two previous albums as 'returns to form' but this one actually delivers.

 

Stay is gonna hold its place as #1 on this album, for me. Just instantly got those nostalgic, bittersweet "Fine" type feels as soon as I started. I go on about this a lot but there just isn't another songwriter who has a direct line to my feels the way Dan does, when he's at his peak. Wonderful song.

Aside from that... Heart Attacks might be my favourite Matt song since, I dunno, Dead on the Floor? It has this effortless bounce that I love and the chorus with the dual vocals is just so damn good. Sweet Vampires, Lions and Krystalline are also him at top form for me.

I Can't Believe is the only song I'd consider less than excellent, but there's definitely room for it to grow on me. It's very dry melodically and not at all what I expected.

In general I hear a lot of Good Mourning in this album, which is not at all what I expected to be saying when Blackbird dropped. But those two-minute blasts of punk remind me a lot of a modern update on Fatally Yours, and the balance between the heavy and poppy sides of the band is as good as it's been since that album. Hell, if you put aside the fact that Dan opens the album they're basically structured identically, with the two singers basically swapping song to song for the entire second half of the record before Matt closes with an acoustic song. That's my favourite Trio record by far so I'm basically enamoured with how similar this makes me feel... I could see Cursed? cracking their top 3 with time.

 

And I did not hold out lol

BUT I really enjoyed my first listen. Dans songs were unexpecting and very good. Matt had a good bit of old school vibes on his songs

I Can’t Believe was just ok, I liked the end a bit though. Goodbye Fire Island was definitely my least favorite and most cringey on here. I could see myself coming around to both though

I’m excited to dive back in again

 

Where do I find the leak??

 

This shit's REAL good. Fast favorites are Little Help, Worn So Thin and Krystalline. About to dive into listen number 2! So so happy to have these guys back.

 

Holy shit. Wow. This record..

 

Can I last 16 hours ?

 

After first listen:

This is a really good album. Not sure where to place it in my ranking after just one listen. But holy shit, their voices sound better than ever, especially Dan's.

Favorite songs (subject to change):
Is This Thing Cursed?
Demon and Division
Stay
Heart Attacks

Least favorites (subject to change):
Sweet Vampires
Goodbye Fire Island

 

I don't listen to leaks but I just finished up my first full discography listen-through in probably two years at least and I think I finally have a solid ranking of their albums, and it likely goes against popular opinion

Crimson
Good Mourning
My Shame is True
From Here to Infirmary
Agony & Irony
This Addiction
Maybe I'll Catch Fire
Goddamnit

 

I had a brief moment of googling the leak and then realized I haven't downloaded a leak or anything in so long idk how to do it anymore, and I'd say that's just fine haha. can't wait for tomorrow! starting my day finishing my discography listen with My Shame Is True.

rest of the work day will be Heavens, Sekrets, and Emergency Room.