Chicago’s Alkaline Trio have long been stalwarts of the pop-punk/emo scene, and the band has hit the perfect mixture of subtle crooning, brokenhearted, booze-soaked misanthropy on the slickly produced “Good Mourning.”

Alkaline Trio made a name for itself in the Chicago area with energetic live shows and a heartfelt, yet powerful, aesthetic ingratiating the band with both sad emo kids and punkers alike. Where previous albums found the band a bit more sarcastic and sardonic, “Good Mourning” sounds much mellower than the majority of the band’s catalog, while upping the lyrical ante with broad-stroked metaphors and violent allusions.

Songs like “This Could Be Love” and “Continental” muse on relationship trappings replete with references to conflagrations, finger loss and blood. Where booze and women were once staples of the Trio’s writing, “Good Mourning” leans heavily on heartache tinged with revenge rather than the bottle.

Although the band lightens its sound on “Good Mourning,” Alkaline Trio hasn’t lost its musical teeth, as songs like “Fatally Yours” and “Donner Party” churn with the distorted guitars of the group’s past.

Tracks like the acoustic “Blue in the Face” and the plodding “Every Thug Needs a Lady” may disappoint fans hoping for AT’s rocking return, but it is in some of the softer moments on “Good Mourning” that the group’s much-improved song-writing ability becomes apparent.

The band may not produce quotable one-liners to the likes of which appeared on previous releases like “From Here to the Infirmary,” but “Good Mourning” is a more narrative and complete album at points.

Many fans may lose interest with the band’s softer leanings, but it’s only a matter of time before the Trio can combine its storytelling ability, wit and raw power. For now, however, fans must be content with a solid album that comes off a little too soft.