21st Century Breakdown by Green Day

Green Day sure do know how to make a musical splash. They’ve followed up the smash hit of American Idiot, in the best possible way the could – with 21st Century Breakdown, a three-act rock opera that incorporates every disillusioned faction of modern society into punk rock music. It’s an admirable feat and entertaining to listen to, but the fact is, listening to Green Day comment on the state of the nation is starting to get somewhat tiring. Eighteen tracks make sure listeners get their money worth, but some might find it a bit tiring to listen to another band pass judgement on the world for that long.

Having said that, you can be thankful there are no 9-minute epic tracks on this record, allowing you to just sit back and appreciate the finely-mastered rock songs from the trio who know how to deliver attitude every time. The title track – “21st Century Breakdown,” the first single – “Know Your Enemy,” and also “Christians Inferno” and “East Jesus Nowhere” are examples of such power songs. “Know Your Enemy,” in particular, will have you chanting and shouting, as if part of a protesting crowd, no matter what your political stance is.

“Horseshoes And Handgrenades,” “The Static Age” and “American Eulogy (Mass Hysteria/Modern World)” all have a rowdy punk feel to them, with a fuzzy guitar sound and snarling vocals, while tracks like “Last Night On Earth” and “¡Viva La Gloria!” slow the album right down and become almost ballad-esque.

The album, in fact, merits a three-piece review to follow up its three acts, because there are just so many details to Green Day’s music. They have characters, love stories, religion and post-Bush politics all coming to a head in their music, and it makes it such a vibrant stomp through modern day punk rock music that you need to buy it now