21st Century Breakdown
Reprise Records
Green Day wants you to think deeply about 21st Century Breakdown, but it's most enjoyable when you don't.
The Californian trio's eighth studio album sticks closely to the formula of 2004's American Idiot, presenting another self-proclaimed "punk rock opera" that bemoans the destruction, chaos and hysteria of 21st Century America, all packaged neatly into 70 minutes of radio-friendly rebellion.
21st Century Breakdown is divided into three "acts" that take us through a sprawling landscape of riots, bombs and destruction. Like American Idiot, it follows a loose narrative in an attempt to patchwork together questions and musings on religion, politics, war, revolution, mental health and love.
The sense of political despair might feel a bit at odds with the current surge of Obama optimism, but considering how well the whole concept worked for American Idiot, it's not surprising that Green Day have taken the same tack this time around.
In Act 1, "Heroes and Cons", we're introduced to our two disillusioned protagonists. Christian is a nihilist bent on self-destruction, and his girlfriend Gloria dreams of rebuilding the world.
Act 2, "Charlatans and Saints", follows the pair as they wander desolately through scene after apocalyptic scene that recall the horror of 9/11 and the Iraq War, until they emerge in Act 3, "Horseshoes and Handgrenades", heavily medicated, entirely world-weary and set on revenge.
With tracks like "East Jesus Nowhere", which explores the emptiness of religion and its effect on war and genocide, and "Peacemaker", with its references to Gaza and Jihad, there's an admirable attempt to deal with big issues on this album. The only problem is, they're the same big issues that American Idiot already dealt with exhaustively.
Still, there are some very enjoyable, even amazing moments. "Restless Heart Syndrome", if you can tolerate the heavy Oasis vibe, is beautifully melancholy and shows the surprising sensitivity that has given Green Day some of their biggest hits. "Horseshoes and Handgrenades" has all the makings of a moshpit classic: fast, fun pop-punk at its best.
Across its 18 tracks, 21st Century Breakdown meanders through a strangely cohesive stream of genres: power pop, punk, glam, emo, Britpop, industrial, and even gypsy music. Producer Butch Vig, of Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins fame, has done an incredible job of focusing Green Day's sound and embellishing it with details from all corners of rock history.
One thing's for sure: they'll manage to turn it into a mind-blowing live show. The pyrotechnics from the American Idiot tour will surely be put to magnificent use again and we'll all be there, forgetting our cynicism and shouting "Demolition! Self Destruction!!" along with the crowd.
3 out of 5
