Is This Thing Cursed?

Is This Thing Cursed? is the ninth studio album by American punk rock band Alkaline Trio, released on August 31, 2018 on Epitaph Records.[1] Produced and mixed by Cameron Webb, the album was announced alongside the release of the lead single, "Blackbird".

Is This Thing Cursed?
Studio album by
Alkaline Trio
ReleasedAugust 31, 2018 (2018-08-31)
RecordedApril 2018 at The Lair, Culver City, California
GenrePunk rock, pop punk, emo
Length39:48
LabelEpitaph
ProducerCameron Webb
Alkaline Trio chronology
My Shame Is True
(2013)		 Is This Thing Cursed?
(2018)		 E.P.
(2020)
Singles from Is This Thing Cursed?
  1. "Blackbird"
    Released: July 19, 2018
  2. "Is This Thing Cursed?"
    Released: August 7, 2018
  3. "Demon and Division"
    Released: August 28, 2018

It is their first release since 2013's My Shame Is True, with its five-year gap being the longest between two studio albums to date.

Writing and composition

Vocalist and bassist Dan Andriano compared the recording process to that of the band's early days, "the songwriting process is almost like what it was back in the day. We would just kind of write a song, be excited about it, then move on. We wrote in that spirit in the studio. I really feel like we made a record that the old school fans are going to dig.” The band also compared Is This Thing Cursed? to their second album, Maybe I'll Catch Fire.[2] Furthermore, the album features a higher number of songs written by Andriano when compared to the band's more recent back catalogue.

Themes and topics covered on the album include depression, the 2016 presidential election, the Access Hollywood tape, the band's hometown of Chicago, and the Fyre Festival that vocalist and guitarist Matt Skiba was set to headline with Blink-182, but cancelled.[3]

Reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.3/10[4]
Metacritic75/100[5]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
Clash8/10[7]
Drowned in Sound8/10[8]
Exclaim!8/10[9]

The album has received generally positive reviews. AllMusic wrote "Recapturing the spirit of earlier recordings, Chicago punk stalwarts Alkaline Trio polish those rough edges of youthful messiness and hit an effortless stride with their ninth album. At its boisterous best, Cursed soars with the trademark harmonies of Matt Skiba and Dan Andriano, popping with an energy that recalls past peaks like 2000's Maybe I'll Catch Fire and 2001's From Here to Infirmary."[6] Kerrang! gave the band a glowing review writing "Despite having become effectively a part-time concern and thus an outfit whose status remains steadfastly cult, at the very least Alkaline Trio can take a (grim) pride in having returned and reclaimed the title of Punk Rock Connoisseurs’ Band Of Choice with criminal ease here. As ever, on Is This Thing Cursed?, their music comes in any colour you like, so long as it’s black."[10]

Track listing

Taken from Apple Music.[11]

No.TitleLength
1."Is This Thing Cursed?"2:43
2."Blackbird"3:20
3."Demon and Division"3:16
4."Little Help?"2:23
5."I Can't Believe"4:01
6."Sweet Vampires"3:23
7."Pale Blue Ribbon"2:00
8."Goodbye Fire Island"3:31
9."Stay"3:29
10."Heart Attacks"2:20
11."Worn So Thin"2:35
12."Throw Me to the Lions"3:18
13."Krystalline"3:29
Total length:39:48

Personnel
Alkaline Trio
Production
  • Cameron Webb – production, mixing

Charts
Chart (2018) Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC)[12] 26
UK Albums (OCC)[13] 50
US Billboard 200[14] 68
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[15] 6

References
  1. Punknews.org. "Alkaline Trio release new single and set date for new album". www.punknews.org. Retrieved 2018-07-19.
  2. "Alkaline Trio Announce New Album 'Is This Thing Cursed?'". New Noise Magazine. 2018-07-19. Retrieved 2018-07-19.
  3. Exposito, Suzy (2018-08-09). "Alkaline Trio on How Depression, Trump-Era Mayhem Fueled Their New LP". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  4. "Is This Thing Cursed? by Alkaline Trio reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  5. "Is This Thing Cursed? by Alkaline Trio Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  6. "Is This Thing Cursed? - Alkaline Trio - Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
  7. Beech, Dave (August 20, 2018). "Alkaline Trio - Is This Thing Cursed?". Clash. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  8. Reynolds, Aidan (September 4, 2018). "Album Review: Alkaline Trio - Is This Thing Cursed?". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  9. Stylianou, Savoula (August 27, 2018). "Alkaline Trio Is This Thing Cursed?". Exclaim!. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  10. "Album Of The Week: Alkaline Trio's Is This Thing Cursed?". Kerrang!.
  11. Is This Thing Cursed? by Alkaline Trio, 2018-08-31, retrieved 2018-07-19
  12. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
  13. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
  14. "Alkaline Trio Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
  15. "Alkaline Trio Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
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