Review: "21st Century Breakdown" by Green Day

And so Green Day again returns with the follow up to "American Idiot". Once more they have shed their old style and moved into the realm of concept albums. The question you gotta ask is does it hold up as well as the rest of their work? Unfortunately yours truly feels that it doesn't quite meet the same standards as albums like "Dookie" or "Nimrod". Instead we are presented with what is basically"American Idiot" part 2, which if you liked the first one is great but if your like me it falls short of your expectations for the band.

There are some good things about this album, such as the song "Viva La Gloria". Some of the songs have great hooks and the album is quite as heavy handed in it's message as it's predecessor. And Billie Joe seems as good as ever, sounding just like he has on every Green Day album. But the album still seems to suffer under the weight of it's own pretentiousness. The lyrics just don't seem to hit like they used to, feeling forced rather then natural. Almost as if they were trying to be intentionally controversial and heavy simply for the sake of being controversial and heavy. Also their sound just doesn't seem to have evolved to fit this style of music, so it seems hollow in the face of the epic production that is straining to evoke. I don't know when it became a fad as an older band to "mature" your sound but it seems we are presented with another victim of this trend.

If this had been another band I would have given this more leeway, but since it's Green Day there is a foundation and expectation that has been built. Normally in my eyes when a band has a greatest hits that tends to be the end of their career. And in this case it was the death of Green Day as we knew them and now we live in the wake of their reboot. If your a fan of the new sound then you'll probably love this album but if your an old fan like myself you may want to save your money and put in "Kerplunk" or something instead.

2 out of 5 stars And just for you my friend...."Wal-Mart fans aren't missing much either"

Review: "Intimacy" by Bloc Party

So I got passed this album by a friend at work and thought I would review it. I had never been exposed to Bloc Party before so the whole album is pretty new to me.

I will say this album comes out swinging at you with the sonically intense "Ares". The song is pretty overwhelming as there is a whole lot going on instrumentally and you almost feel assaulted by sound. But get past that song and the rest of the album comes together pretty well. "Mercury" starts a trend that continues over the next few songs with lots of energy, a range of instruments, and a lot of energy all at once. "Halo" is probably the strongest song on the album with a quick tempo and some pretty deep hooks that keep you thinking about the song long after it has finished. Definitely something different in a very enjoyable way. The vocals are pretty strong despite the strong english accent and the production on the songs is pretty tight.

One thing I dislike is the lyrics seem very obtuse and it tends to be a bit unclear what the song really is about. I don't know if they are being vague to make a point and allow for interpretation or to make an attempt at being clever. Also there is a lot happening in their music, I don't know if it's just this cd or their music in general, but I feel like the whole album was a fever dream. It hits with a lot of craziness and by the time it's over you wonder if that album was real and actually happened. I could see this turning off some people who prefer a more uniform feel to their albums.

As far as the album goes it feels pretty strong in my opinion. It takes a slow burn approach in that it starts off hot on the first half of the album but winds down and shifts at the second half. This isn't a bad thing though as it adds to the overall dynamic of the album itself. I could easily recommend this if you are looking for something outside of the norm. It reminds me of bands like Radiohead or artists like Bjork who stray from convention to try something unique. It makes me want to check out Bloc Party's previous albums.

4 out of 5 stars. Very solid and worth checking out, can't go wrong with purchasing this album.