New Music: Green Day

By Gurman Sahota, October 18 2016 —

With the arrival of their twelfth studio album Revolution Radio, Green Day returns to the commercially successful roots of American Idiot.

Released four years after the band’s clever trio of albums ¡Uno!, ¡Dos! and ¡Tré!, it is difficult to assess the new album without being reminded of Green Day’s discography. Revolution Radio reassures fans that the band has not strayed from their niche sound of scratchy vocals, glorious bass undercurrents and fun drumming.

Opening track “Starting Now” eases listeners with  the classic Green Day sound of fast-paced guitar riffs peppered with drums. “Bang Bang” is a drum indulgent track that will remind fans of the band of previous albums. That isn’t to say Green Day sticking to their classic sound is a bad thing — it’s comforting to know that not a whole lot has changed.

The album continues as an homage to prior releases until its second half with tracks such as “Troubled Times” and “Too Dumb to Die.” Each song attempts to move beyond reminiscing about previous albums. “Troubled Times” is infectious as guitar riffs hit a more sombre tone and drums fade to reveal raw vocals before coming back to punctuate the chorus.

“Ordinary World” ends the album in the same way that stretching ends a workout. It’s a singular track stripped of Green Day’s heavy instrumentals. The vocals are simply accentuated and the album ends quietly. This final track is a foil to the rest of the songs that were laden with dense guitars and cheeky vocals.

The album is a lighter version of American Idiot in terms of guitar riffs and content and is a good starting point for new listeners.