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Alkaline Trio’s major label debut finds the band more mainstream than they’ve ever been before. They’ve shed a few darker themes and they’ve mainstreamed they’re sound slightly so what’s produced in their new self-titled disc isn’t necessarily their most polished or produced record but to newcomers or old fans it definitely comes close. The split singing isn’t done as much on this record, on a few songs Dan Andriano takes the lead, but mostly its Matt Skiba vocals and Andriano on backing duties. Andriano does have one great lead song in “Love, Love, Kiss, Kiss” which not only features Andriano on vocals but also a Pixies guitar line in the beginning and underneath that is pretty stellar. Skiba dominating the lead singing is nothing to gripe about “Calling All Skeletons” and “Help Me” are two of the better Alkaline Trio songs that I’ve heard and both tracks are polished, have great hooks, and have Skiba on the lead. It’s easy to see why these guys have been going for a decade with a huge cult following, it’s because as a duo and a trio these guys write great songs, on “Agony & Irony” those songs aren’t as dark as they’ve been in the past but they are perhaps better. “Agony & Irony” finds Alkaline Trio in rare form and is a great major label debut. Definitely worth checking out.