Released:
Rating:
‘Revolution Radio’ is a perfectly fine album, just not one to upset the status quo.
Label: Reprise Records
Released: October 7th 2016
Rating: ★★★
For the first time in their career, Green Day may actually have something to prove. Sure – there have been points where pulling a good album out of the bag would be beneficial, but they’ve always managed it. Not since ‘American Idiot’ – back in 2004 – have they really delivered the goods. Since then we’ve had the lukewarm ‘21st Century Breakdown’ and 2012’s frankly forgettable trilogy of ‘¡Uno!’, ‘¡Dos!’ and ¡Tré!’. With a scene increasingly packed with pretenders, the crown kings of pop punk need to justify that throne.
They sort of manage it. ‘Revolution Radio’ isn’t a bad album – which at this point feels like progress. It’s not a great one either, though. If you’re looking for a direct comparison, 2000’s ‘Warning’ may be the best place to head. From the machine gun melodies of lead single ‘Bang Bang’, it’s solid. Further to the sincere end of the Green Day spectrum, rooted in surface level politics; the likes of ‘Still Breathing’ and ‘Bouncing Off The Walls’ may be enough to keep the trio at the top of the pile, but they’re unlikely to spark anything new either. A collection of songs that couldn’t be more modern Green Day if they tried, ‘Revolution Radio’ is a perfectly fine album, just not one to upset the status quo. Stephen Ackroyd
