Alkaline Trio/Hot Water Music [Split CD]
After touring together and courting similar pop-punk fans, Alkaline Trio and Hot Water Music decided to pool forces for this seven-song EP of original material and covers. Alkaline Trio's new material is true to their current form; the emotional, tripping-over-my-broken-heart stories are about girls and boys getting kicked in the head by their relationships. Ironically, the best song they offer on this disc is "Rooftops," a song taken from Hot Water Music's 1999 albumNo Division. The song is a nice change of pace from the Trio's usual midtempo trot through their angst-ridden world. HWM takes over for the second half of the disc, offering two original tracks and covering two of the Trio's songs--"Radio" fromMaybe I'll Catch Fireand the aptly named "Bleeder" fromAlkaline Trio.  Although the differences between the two bands sound slight at first, HWM's material feels more urgently driven by the end, mainly because of the sandpapery vocals and more forceful guitar work. Overall, this split EP doesn't break any new ground musically, but it's a decent item for the avid fans of either band.--Jennifer Maerz