Green Day – Revolution Radio
Released October 7th, 2016
Teen angst, shitty families, rebuking “mainstream society”, it all appears on Revolution Radio. Green Day are a bit of a know quantity after all. Have they ever really written a bad song? I’d say no. Some are better than others to be sure, but none are just bad and the is the case on the band’s latest solid effort. “Bang Bang” is the clear stand out on the album, a shout-along ’80s punk dust-up, its SoCal mohawk of a melody carrying a vocal castigation of gun violence in the age of Instagram. Revolution Radio is the perfect “comeback” vehicle for a trio of middle-aged punk rockers recovering from a four year hiatus rife with personal issues and identity crises. (Armstrong’s very public breakdown at the 2012 iHeartRadio festival forced him, bassist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tré Cool to pump the breaks for several years.) While Armstrong dealt with his alcoholism and addiction, entering rehab, Dirnt dealt with his wife’s cancer, and Cool enjoyed a honeymoon phase traveling with his new wife. Hitting the reset button and returning to their origins, Revolution Radio marks their first album in 15 years with no gimmick, no triple EP, no over the top elevated concept. Their signature power chord structure, Armstrong’s ironically self-aware lyrics, and a catchy chorus is all they’ve ever needed.
4 of 5 stars
