In a genre which — broadly speaking — frowns upon branching too far from the staple punk schemata, it can be hard to last as a band. Nevertheless, the Chicago-based punk band, Alkaline Trio, has managed to last 10 years and has been adored throughout. With the release of Remains this week, the trio has put together a collection of 22 rarities, b-sides and obscure releases that span the length of the band's career. The most compelling aspect of Remains is that it tracks the musical progression of the band throughout its career thus far. The Trio have long been known for their creative and often humorous lyrics, and many of the tracks on Remains are no exception: "And when you're only 23/ It's not attractive to complain about your sore back," quips guitarist Matt Skiba on "My Standard Break From Life," a funny yet somber breakup song that wouldn't sound out of place on Green Day's Dookie. Songs from the band's earlier days are for the most part completely within the standard punk mold of muted, staccato, power chord-driven verses, sharply picked bass lines and open refrains. The fast-paced opener "Hell Yes," which has been a staple of live shows for years, fit this mold exactly — the sounds of the bass pick scraping the coils of the string are audible on each strike. Despite being a textbook example of the standard punk song, "Hell Yes" carries its weight on the album better than most of the other songs thanks to its high-energy riffs and earnest lyrics. By the later tracks, the group has progressed to a more elaborate and controlled song structure. Songs like "Don't Say You Won't," "Wait for the Blackout" and "Buried" display a newfound willingness to branch out musically. The moody "Buried" is the darkest song on the album and the strongest example of the band's later work. For the first and only time, the band departs from the typical punk vocal mix, which comes as a blessed relief after 18 tracks of repetitive production styles. The vocals sound as if they were recorded in a subway tunnel, and the guitar's hollow tone creates an emptiness that fits the lyrics and fills out the song musically. The collection ends with live recordings of "Deathbed," "My Standard Break From Life" and "I'm Dying Tomorrow," but all three of these are surprisingly uninspired renditions that pale in comparison to the originals. The vocals on "Dethbed" come off flat and don't do justice to such a classic. As for the other two songs, the studio versions are already on the album, and the live versions are basically the same thing with reduced sound quality. The inclusion of these live versions is not only unnecessary, but almost comical. Since the album is all b-sides and "rarities," the fact that these songs are being re-released 19 tracks later on the same album seems to show the idea of the "rarities" album as a pointless recycling of material. Another weakness of Remains is that all 22 tracks are readily available online with little searching or law breaking. There are no new songs on the album, and the songs that have been re-released here are far from rare. Considering that punk music has one of the most fiercely loyal fan bases of any genre, most of the target audience has no doubt already acquired the tracks by raiding the imports, singles and live-bootlegs of the band. On the other hand, for those who are unfamiliar with the band, this collection is a good way to get a taste of the Trio. The strength of past Trio releases lies not in musical technicality but in sincere songs that trigger a listener response, such as singing along or jumping around the room. Unfortunately, there are only three or four tracks that illicit this response on Remains. Although Alkaline Trio has survived for 10 years in the punk music scene by creating some of the most memorable punk tracks of the '90s and the early '00s, Remains comes off as an attempt to keep the band's name afloat without providing any new material. Grade: 2 of 5