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21st Century Breakdown – Green Day

First impressions can be deceptive. The past few weeks have witnessed substantial promos being aired over music channels announcing the launch of a work of music. The name of which contained within itself the power to deconstruct an entire century. A century which even though hasn’t even gotten on its week properly, but has witnessed some of the most horrific events recorded human history would have seen. War, natural calamity, terror, collapsed economies – this century has seen it all.

‘21^st Century Breakdown’, as the name clearly suggests is what the latest studio album from one of the biggest contemporary punk (or ‘sellouts’, whichever side of the fence you decide to keep yourself) acts alive today. Twenty years of being together, and you wonder what has it been that could have Green Day tight till now. Whether the diamond status of their breakout album ‘Dookie’; or more significantly due to their previous work ‘American Idiot’, which bought the sentiments of a W bashing generation to the forefront.

‘21^st Century Breakdown’ picks up where ‘American Idiot’ left. While we had Jimmy and ‘Jesus of Suburbia’ as they grew up in their neighborhoods on ‘American Idiot’, we now have a couple which instead of finding themselves in the loving arms of each other, struggle as they jolt through the bumps which are bringing the journey of an entire nation (and world) to a stop. Christian, the explosive nihilist, and Gloria, the idealizing pacifist, both of whom narrate the world as they see it through their minds. The narrative is hitting and moving at the same time; and though the continuity may not be as fluid, there is a line which runs through the entire album and serves to unite it. Broken up into three parts (or acts, as they have been called), each of which have names which serve as headings for the contents within. Act I, ‘Heroes and Cons’ opens with a radio static ridden ‘Song of the Century’ which laments the turn of events at the turn of the century. A short opening, which in turn, effectively sets the chord for the sentiment which follows through the album, on the title track, and the lead single (‘Know Your Enemy’, which incidentally was responsible for the first impression). All glory though is reserved for ‘Viva La Gloria’, which has a resounding chorus potent enough to set oceans on both sides of the US mainland churn themselves to search for Gloria as Christian looks around for her. Green Day despises authority, any form of it, and they don’t hesitate to exhibit this. So while the government and its decisions on war form Act I, religion and pseudo hypocrites get bashed up on ‘East Jesus Nowhere’ as soon as Act II begins in the form of ‘Charlatans and Saints’. The Lost American Dream – as was spoken about on ‘American Idiot’ – continues to find its voice. Just like Christian bemoans Gloria as the ‘Last of the American Girls’, another of those songs which contain vivid metaphorical references to the qualities which made up what America was and was meant to be. War has undoubtedly been the activity possessing the single largest denomination within the American government in recent times. And in the name of patriotism, countless young men and women have been pushed to the end of their lives. Which is reason ample enough for Act III to be named ‘Horseshoes and Handgrenades’ which has a namesake title track, to be followed by an attempt on creating another ‘Jesus of Suburbia’ on ‘American Eulogy’ (though they fail miserably, if they actually did try to attempt it). Three cords, thumping drums, high treble bass tones rule most of the high tempo tracks, all of which bear ‘idiot’ic images of Armstrong, Dirnt and Cool throughout. However, Armstrong does tend to digress towards his Lennon-esque ‘working class hero’ influences as well. Something which reflects beautifully on some of the piano led ballads they have attempted (‘Last Night on Earth’, ’21 Guns’, ‘Last of the American Girls’), serving as a nice break to the otherwise insane levels of tempo (which keeps compounding) built on the rest of the tracks.

So while initial impressions may have been deceptive, and though the past influences may still be very visible on Green Day’s latest album, it is fair to say that they have notched up another rock opera as a worthy successor to their past lineup; pseudo patriotism, notwithstanding.