During these times of economic uncertainty, everyone is looking to rediscover their own identity or redefine themselves in the new millennium. It seems fitting that in 2009 Green Day has undergone a noticeable face-lift with the release of an ambitious new album for the ages, 21st Century Breakdown. There is a smorgasbord of UK punk, classic rock n’ roll and Beatles influences that culminate into a timeless rock opera LP that succeeds in eluding the confines of your typical alternative-rock punk band.
The album begins on a booming note with Mass Hysteria, a modern punk song about anarchy against the status quo. This track has newsworthy significance, considering the current state of our economy. Billy Joe Armstrong’s vocal has never felt this impassioned and forceful. The track offers incessant hard-rock drum loops and machine-gun-like guitar rhythms and electric distortion, which helps reaffirm the band’s new creative motivation and sense of urgency.
Before Lobotomy starts as a melodious guitar pop tune about a broken civilization where dreams have been tarnished by the harsh realities of very difficult times. Then in the fourth stanza, the band takes an ominous tone by unleashing menacing guitar riffs and rapid-fire drums. Billy Joe croons, Well, it's enough to make you sick. To cast a stone and throw a brick when the sky is falling down. It burned your dreams into the ground.
The band switches gears with Horseshoes & Handgrenades. This is a sublime tribute to British punk of the 70s and early 80s. The track offers a perfect montage of savage guitar riffs from Mike Dimdt and a frenetic-paced backbeat over the distorted and wildly seductive pitch from Billy Joe. Green Day could be making a fight song about putting an end to totalitarianism in the U.S. government. The band seems to be making a pledge to end complete dictatorship and encourage more autonomy in our lives.Last Night on Earth features a dreamy romantic vocal that recalls some of John Lennon’s vintage singles. Every rock opera should have a centerpiece love song to supplement the overall theme of the album. The band showcases their romantic side as they tell the story of man isolated by his shattered surroundings – but he remains upbeat by the love he shares with someone far away. While Beatles-mania influences are imprinted on this track, one can’t avoid reminiscing about U2’s nostalgic lovely guitar and string bass ballad, Staring At The Sun (see U2's Pop).
Every supergroup has a song that becomes the signature anthem that will help galvanize their career to the next plateau. Restless Heart Syndrome begins as a mid-tempo pop tune with luscious strings and dreamy piano soundscapes that features arguably the best vocals from Billy Joe on the album. Three minutes later it begins its metamorphosis into spellbinding, heavy and maniacal guitar rhythms, recalling some of the Edge’s finest moments.
The track also features some of their most heartfelt and compelling lyrics from their own discography. The song touches on the lives of those who are resorting to desperate measures to find a remedy to their own self-loathing during times of despair. Somebody take the pain away. It's like an ulcer bleeding in my brain. Send me to the pharmacy. So I can lose my memory. I'm elated. Medicated.
Green Day has managed to create a gripping LP that touches on the feelings of hopelessness and despair we all share when we are confronted by forces beyond our control. The band creates a unique symphonic mix of rock and punk to challenge us to rise up against our fears with sheer fortitude and self-purpose.
Download Right Now: Restless Heart Syndrome &
Last Night On Earth
Grade: A
In The Spotlight: Restless Heart Syndrome
