Matt Skiba and The Sekrets
Alkaline Trio frontman Matt Skiba has joined forces with AFI's Hunter Burgan on bass and My Chemical Romance's Jarrod Alexander on drums to create Babylon.
Skiba's solo project is reminiscent of the work of Chicago's Alkaline Trio, and is therefore, easily accessible. The similarity between his solo work and the band's material is a double-edged sword; fans will love it, but he is also likely to be criticised for the similarities.
Similarities aside Babylon is an enjoyable listen, songs like Haven't You and Voices are extremely pop infused, and have you singing along by the time the second chorus hits. Skiba's songs are concise; with the exception of Angel Of Death they are all under four minutes long but full of the classic Skiba melodies we have come to expect from his work.
Falling Like Rain is a great number, it has a fantastic eighties feel to it and it's definitely the quirkiest song on the album, I could listen to this song over and over again. Angel Of Deaf slows things down, but this beautiful acoustic number highlights just what a talented vocalist Skiba is. It's full of raw emotion, and it provides a great opportunity to fully appreciate the depth and power of Skiba's voice.
Babylon is a confident release, the songs are upbeat, catchy and musically and vocally well performed and produced. This album has universal appeal and is bound to be a hit with Alkaline Trio fans, but also with a much wider audience.