Alkaline Trio return to their Midwestern-punk roots with This Addiction, reuniting with their old producer Matt Allison for an album that prioritizes energy above all else. "Dine, Dine My Darling" shows that the band hasn't lost their flair for off-the-cuff, shout-along choruses, while Matt Skiba's trenchant lyrics—which examine PTSD on "The American Scream" and abusive relationships on the title track—find Alkaline Trio simultaneously scaling back and growing as songwriters.