4/5
When news broke in 2004 that Green Day planned to release a ‘punk rock opera’, many balked. This was a band who had made millions singing about illegal acts and teenage kicks, and who named one LP after
a slang word for faeces. But the end product, American Idiot, effortlessly combined zeitgeist-defining political commentary, kicking tunes and a sonic scope broader than many assumed the East Bay trio were capable of. In 2009 they released their second impressive rock opera, 21st Century Breakdown.
Green Day are clearly determined to continue outdoing themselves, hence this project: three albums released over five months. Interestingly, the first instalment is a return to the punchy punk-pop blueprint they perfected in the ’90s. Songs about desire (‘Stay the Night’), wild abandon (‘Let Yourself Go’) and angst vibrate with tightly coiled energy. Twenty-five years on and Green Day still sound fresh, balancing an arrogant strut with tenderness and a playful pop nous. Let’s hope they keep up the momentum for ¡Dos! and ¡Tré!.
