I feel like every time a new Green Day album is announced, it's met with varying levels of trepidation from longtime fans. "Is it going to sound like the old Green Day again?" we ask time and time again, not even realizing that what "old Green Day" is has been changing right under our noses this entire time. To someone in their fourties like myself, Kerplunk! through Insomniac or Nimrod might constitute "old Green Day" and that's not wrong. But there's also an entire generation of fans for whom American Idiot is "old Green Day" and that's...somehow also not wrong.
You know the old saying: "Classic Green Day is like pornography. I had a bunch of it in high school and was a big fan."
Wait, sorry that's not how it goes. Something about 'I can't define it but I know it when I see it', right? And what I do know is that Green Day sound that I knew and loved and grew up on has been kinda absent the last few albums.
So what are we getting on the upcoming Saviors (out 2 weeks from today on January 19)? Does Green Day recapture that sound of old? Listening to the first handful of singles, the answer seems to be 'yes'.
"But which old Green Day? Old like 2004? Or old like 1994?"
Same answer: Yes.
When we got the first single 'The American Dream Is Killing Me', it was fine enough, but seemed like well worn ground. Like a b-side to American Idiot...except 21st Century Breakdown kinda sorta already was b-sides to American Idiot, if not literally than at least spiritually. Do we really need c-sides to an album two decades old? Still, it sounds exactly like it was cooked up during Bush v Kerry, so it very much succeeds in capturing some of their new-classic era sound and attitude.
But the following two singles ('Look Ma, No Brains!' and 'Dilemma')? Now we're getting to the good stuff. 'No Brains' sounds like it could be off Insomniac and 'Dilemma' has a definite Warning sound and vibe to it.
Today's new single 'One Eyed Bastard' kind of falls somewhere in the middle. The straightforward stomp guitar riff and marching drums laying down the backbone of the song are giving me strong 'East Jesus Nowhere' vibes, which would place the sound somewhere in the post American Idiot era. But the semi-sensical lyrics and disdainful attitude scream 90's era snarky Green Day. The result? A tight 3 minute headbanger that might hint at a new direction for the band where they combine the various sounds they've had over the years into one searing dose of snotty, bratty pop punk rock. Like a Captain Planet type of thing.
Dookie fans will get that one.
Anyway, this is a reminder that Green Day is partnering up with Smashing Pumpkins to tour the US this year and you can get tour dates and tickets here.
