My Shame Is True

''My Shame Is True'' is the eighth studio album by Chicago-based rock band Alkaline Trio, released on April 2, 2013 on Heart & Skull and Epitaph Records. Produced by both Bill Stevenson and Jason Livermore, the album was preceded by the single, " I Wanna Be a Warhol", and was released with an accompanying EP, '' Broken Wing'', featuring four additional songs recorded during the same sessions.

Inspired by a recent romantic break-up, vocalist and guitarist Matt Skiba described the record as a "pseudo-concept album" and a catharsis," stating, "I just wrote this one more as a love letter to my ex-girlfriend, or an apology note set to music." Following the album's release, Skiba noted that the album brought the couple back together.

The album received mostly favorable reviews upon its release. ''My Shame Is True'' reached twenty-four on the ''Billboard'' 200.

Writing and composition

Vocalist and guitarist Matt Skiba's lyrical contributions were influenced by a recent break-up, with Skiba noting, "On this one we didn't exactly plan on making a "personal" record — it just happened that way. I went through a lot since the last record and this one, like going straight out of a gnarly divorce into a really great, beautiful relationship that came to an end just as we started writing ''My Shame Is True''." "She Lied to the FBI" was inspired by Ben Affleck's film '' The Town''.

The album's title references Elvis Costello's debut album, ''My Aim is True''.

Release and promotion

Alkaline Trio released a lyric video for the song "I Wanna Be A Warhol" which was released as the album's lead single on February 5, 2013, later that month the band released another lyric video for the song "The Torture Doctor". A music video for the song "I, Pessimist" was released on March 6. "I Wanna Be A Warhol" was given an official video on March 8, 2013. Lyric videos for "The Temptation Of St. Anthony" and "I'm Only Here To Disappoint" were released on March 20. The band posted the entire album on YouTube on March 28. In April, the band went on a headlining UK tour with support from Bayside. Following this, the group embarked on a headlining US tour with support from Bayside between April and June. In September, the band performed at Riot Fest.

Critical response

AbsolutePunk gave the album a positive review, praising the album's production, Matt Skiba's lyrics and Dan Andriano's contributions, stating, " 'My Shame Is True'' is the band'stightest collection of songs since 2003’s '' Good Mourning''. ..Despite being fifteen years in the punk rock scene, ''My Shame Is True'' is a showcase of a band continuing to be vibrant and vital, when lesser bands have become stale and irrelevant." AllMusic's Matt Collar also gave the album a very positive review, noting, "''My Shame Is True'', is something of a revelation. Primarily, that revelation is that a band whose songcraft and musicianship might easily have plateaued by now is still bounding ever upward. To put it simply, this album is bonkers good."

The A.V. Club's Jason Heller issued the album with a negative review, stating, "When Skiba’s on fire, he’s one of pop-punk’s best tunesmiths; but when he’s coasting, as he is throughout ''My Shame Is True'', his songs feel less black than beige."

Track listing

Digital deluxe and Japanese editions of the album include all four songs from the band's '' Broken Wing'' EP, which was released on the same day as ''My Shame Is True''.

Personnel

Alkaline Trio

*Matt Skiba – guitars, vocals
*Dan Andriano – bass, vocals, guitars
* Derek Grant – drums, vocals

Additional musicians

* Bill Stevenson – backing vocals
* Brendan Kelly – backing vocals (''2'')
*Tim McIlrath – co-lead vocals (''6'')

Recording personnel

* Bill Stevenson – producer, engineer
*Jason Livermore – producer, engineer, mixing, mastering
*Andrew Berlin – engineer
*Chris Beeble – engineer

Artwork

*Nick Pritchard – design
*Monkeybird – album photography

Charts

References

External links

''My Shame Is True''
at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed)

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Alkaline Trio albums
2013 albums
Epitaph Records albums
Albums produced by Bill Stevenson (musician)