ALKALINE TRIO S/T Coloured Vinyl LP (2000)

By the time Alkaline Trio put out their self-titled record in 2000 they had already written some of the most reliably heartbroken pop punk of the post-hardcore generation, and this one landed right at the moment when the band was tightening everything up without losing any of the darkness. Matt Skiba's songwriting had a gothic undercurrent that set them apart from the cleaner melodic punk coming out at the same time, all death imagery and failed relationships wrapped in hooks that stick for weeks.

The self-titled sits in an interesting place in the catalogue, a transitional record that connects the scrappier early work to the more confident run that followed, and it rewards revisiting. Coloured vinyl is the right format for a band whose aesthetic has always leaned into the dark side of things. If your collection already has Maybe I'll Catch Fire and From Here to Infirmary, this is the gap you probably know you need to fill.

Format: Full Length LP. Coloured vinyl. Origin: US. Genre: alt rock, pop punk, emo. Year of original release: 2000.

Fans of: The Misfits, Hot Water Music, The Lawrence Arms, Saves the Day