Two of modern punk’s biggest bands have new albums out. Less Than Jake have just released “GNV FLA,” their seventh LP. And “Agony and Irony” is the sixth record from Alkaline Trio. Though both bands come from different parts of the country and have decidedly different takes on pop punk, we couldn’t help but notice they also had many similarities. Need proof? Read on.

New Labels, Same Sound
Both records are for new labels. Alkaline Trio, who signed to V2 before its eventual collapse, released “Agony” on Epic. And LTJ, who bailed out of their second major label deal (the first with Capitol, the second with Warner Bros.), set their sights on the greener pastures of their own label, Sleep It Off. But despite the change in venue, neither band has strayed far from their roots. Though Less Than Jake’s “GNV FLA” (a reference to the one-time code for their hometown airport) may increase the ska parts this time out, the band retains the metal-ska-punk sound they helped pioneer: catchy pop melodies over chunky-riffed choruses with plenty of woah-woahs and staccato horn lines.

Alkaline Trio have never stray too far off their well-worn path either. Combining goth, post-punk and punk rock sounds, the band’s latest offering may up the keyboard quotient and slow down the tempos, but there’s no mistaking “Agony and Irony” for anything but an Alkaline Trio record. Nobody blends mood and punk better than these guys.

Two Singers Are Better Than One
Part of what makes both bands so interesting is that they have two singers. And though fans may prefer one over another, both singers do a solid job of co-fronting their respective bands. Chris and Roger are still belting out the LTJ tunes — more Chris than Roger — but there’s almost always a great Roger song in the bunch. This time its “Handshake Meets Pokerface” about a single mom struggling to make ends meat. And Dan and Matt share vocal duties on “Agony” as they have on the rest of the band’s records. While Matt’s songs are a bit stronger here, “Love Love, Kiss Kiss” is a motherfucker of a pop song (By the way, have you seen that song’s YouTube cover contest yet? Pretty awesome)

Familiar Lyrical Ground
Where would the Alkaline Trio be without love, death and drinking? And what would become of Less Than Jake without loyalty, Florida and the alienation of youth? Which isn’t to say the bands’ lyrics haven’t also evolved as members have moved from their twenties into their thirties, but they don’t abandon the well-worn themes they built their fanbases on the backs of.

Don’t Believe the Hyperbole
Neither album is the band’s best work, but both can be held in high regard as another piece in a strong body of work. You can take any record from either band’s catalog and not be too disappointed, and both “Agony and Irony” and “GNV FLA” fall closer to the top of that list than the bottom.

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