"American Idiot" by Green Day (2004)
Artist: |
Green Day |
Album: |
American Idiot |
Released In: |
2004 |
Reviewed By: |
Kevin Jones |
Grade: |
3.5 |
GreenDay is often sited as being the original Emo band, but I think this where the distinction between Emo and Pop-punk needs to be made. As opposed to the purveyors of Emo with their often whiny sonnets that revolve around relationships gone bad, Green Day was a band that came at you with a bratty sneer, more concerned with their relationship with their right hand. An approach that served them well in the '90s, but seemed to run into a dead end as their suburban apathy was derailed by the jingoism of post 9/11 politics.
I'm happy to report that American Idiot finds Billie Joe and the boys are back with a vengeance, taking political swipes that, while aren't necessarily profound, have energized them beyond anything that might have been expected. Some of the songs on American Idiot even remind of Bad Religion. Their sound hasn't changed in any significant way, Armstrong still crafts economical power chord slashers that have that Buzzcocks meets the Beatles trademark feel.
Green Day has certainly proven here that they're still a force to be reckoned with. My main complaint is that the album is too long and tends to run low of fuel, particularly on the slower songs, "Wake Me Up When September Ends" is a good example of where the album could have trimmed. Still American Idiot comes at you fast and furious and possesses the one element that is so terribly lacking in the new Jimmy Eat World release - in spite of it's largely political bent, it's still a hell of a lot of fun.
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