An Idiot Is You

When a band, specifically a punk band, has been around for over 10 years, one of three things happens. One, they stick to what they know, unchanging, (The Ramones). Two, they adapt to growing older, changing their style and their lyrics to reflect that (Avail), or the last, and worst option, they try to adapt, and fail. Green Day, with their new album American Idiot, seem to be falling into the third category. What started as a little known group from the Berkeley-Gilman Street scene managed to take this world by storm with catchy lyrics, hooks, and simple three chord songs. Even in the time between their legendary album Dookie and Insomniac, they stayed true to what they know.

As Billie Joe, Tre, and Mike get older, it seems that they aren’t sure about where to go with their music. Idiot is a mess of sleepy, slow, dragging acoustic songs, interspersed with more upbeat tracks that don’t have any intensity or feeling to them. There are a few songs that work well, one being “St. Jimmy”, and another being “Wake Me Up When September Ends.” Two of the tracks on this album are over 9 minute long, which, coming from a band that had average song lengths of two to three minutes, they are overly long, drawn out, and unnecessary.

Maybe it’s because Green Day’s original audience isn’t 16 anymore, maybe it’s them trying to play something different, to branch out musically. Whatever it is, growing up and out isn’t helping Green Day come up with a better album. Instead, what’s left is a hodge-podge of boring, mind-numbing pop and folk rock. What a shame.