Initially I was a little confused and skeptical as to what semi-acoustic means/would bring to a punk band. Essentially, this album is a collection of fan favorites with two additional songs performed in this “semi-acoustic” fashion. Upon first listen I was pleasantly surprised. A lot of the songs still carry themselves nicely despite the electric guitar being swapped for acoustic. Opener “Calling all Skeletons” is fantastic, letting the lyrics and voice take center stage while not sacrificing too much of that rock vibe, while “Every Thug Needs A Lady” goes the way of reducing and stripping the entire song down to bare bones. The two new tracks, “Olde English 800” and “I Remember a Rooftop,” are both decent, the former being a fine fast paced drinking tune and the latter an acoustic reflection tune. The cover of the Violent Femmes’ “I Held Her In My Arms” fits the album nicely and rounds off this nifty little package. It’s a must have for any Alkaline Trio fan, but as a whole this album could be skipped over easily. (Epitaph, epitaph.com) Scott Wolfe