At this point, you're probably wondering if I'm on a hallucinogen which makes Green Day sound like real music. Aftyer all, they haven't done anything of merit since American Idiot, and that got old really quickly, right? Yeah. Well, I'm here to say that this actually didn't suck at all. Quite the contrary--this is an execptional album. It's not American Idiot--after all, you only get one magnum opus--but it's certainly great workout music and if you look closely enough, there's even a point to the lyrics.

American Idiot was exactly what my generation needed when it came out--well articulated and just-crass-enough music in opposition to an administration that would proceed to screw us repeatedly over the years. This isn't that. They're not inciting revolution, but they're jamming their brains out on this one. Oh, and they also get bonus points for it no being emo at all.

If I had to describe this music in terms of the rest of Green Day's rep, I would do so like this: if the band had written their 90's tracks after they had gained the polish applied to American Idiot, this is what it would sound like. I even recognized a few riffs ("The Static Age" sounds frighteningly like "Macy's Day Parade" both in terms of music and overall theme). It's not an amazing album. It doesn't make you question authority (as we have come to expect from this band). But it's worth your time. My Rating: B