Green Day - ¡Uno! (12/010/2012)
With eight studio albums, five Grammys, three DVDs, a guest spot in the Simpson’s Movie and a Broadway musical to their name, it seems that an album trilogy to be released over a 6 month period was the next step up for Green Day.
As the first instalment, ¡Uno! is a mix of the greatest Green Day moments from their discography with a freshly polished finished. The album focuses on love and heartache with a rather classic punk rock edge creating an album bursting with passion and angst.
The first single of a history-making trilogy, Oh Love should have been the climax of the album; instead it’s rather disappointing. The track has found incredible success across the world charts and with continued radio play, however when played along with the rest of the album it fall a little flat of Green Day’s greatest hits. It’s placement as the last track does fit well as a closing to the album and a build up for ¡Dos!. Kill The DJ is the challenge that the boys chose to undertake when writing this album.
They’ve managed to incorporate a club-ready dance beat into their own rock sound, creating a hit track that has well and truly earned its spot in the charts. While the dance-rock mix sounds closer to Panic! At The Disco’s recent works, the lyrics are certainly Armstrong’s signature style “Someone kill the DJ/ Shoot the fucking DJ.”
While the album doesn’t have the level of hard-hitting tracks and gritty lyrics of their earlier albums, there are a few moments across the album that almost make it back there. The opening track, Nuclear Family starts off the album with a powerful punk-rock punch. Its raging power chords and heavy-footed drums are classic Green Day touches that let you know exactly where the band has come from.
The production, while a little too polished for the likes of earlier albums, blends the track into a mix of their old and new works. Let Yourself Go’s jittery vocals and lyrical repetitions reek of the punk-rock days of Dookie and Insomniac. The song paints a rather vivid image of Armstrong’s middle finger pushed in the face of whoever and whatever stands in his way. It’s a perfect fit for future set lists as a mosh-inducing bridge across their discography. And of course with lyrics that parents will see fit to ban in their houses, this track should be a hit with fans young and old alike.
Fell For You is a perfectly classic, if somewhat clichéd, Green Day love song. The guitar lead chorus and Tré Cool’s steady drum fills, paired with heartbroken lyrics and Armstrong’s emotionally pitch-perfect vocals, have been a template for Green Day over the years, and yet again they have well and truly hit the mark.
Sweet 16, a rather tender song of young love, is another quiet moment on the track with honest lyrics and an infectious melody. Together these tracks provide quieter moments between the fast tempo, rock sound of the rest of the album, while still keeping the energy up in the gritty edge and honest lyrics.
In its total, ¡Uno! has earned its place amongst Green Day’s discography. With its punk rock beats and passion lyrics strengthened by Armstrong’s vocals, the album is infectious and perfect to play on repeat at full volume. Of course, as only the first of three albums, the release dates for ¡Dos! and ¡Tre! cannot come soon enough.
Bethany Williams
As the first instalment, ¡Uno! is a mix of the greatest Green Day moments from their discography with a freshly polished finished. The album focuses on love and heartache with a rather classic punk rock edge creating an album bursting with passion and angst.
The first single of a history-making trilogy, Oh Love should have been the climax of the album; instead it’s rather disappointing. The track has found incredible success across the world charts and with continued radio play, however when played along with the rest of the album it fall a little flat of Green Day’s greatest hits. It’s placement as the last track does fit well as a closing to the album and a build up for ¡Dos!. Kill The DJ is the challenge that the boys chose to undertake when writing this album.
They’ve managed to incorporate a club-ready dance beat into their own rock sound, creating a hit track that has well and truly earned its spot in the charts. While the dance-rock mix sounds closer to Panic! At The Disco’s recent works, the lyrics are certainly Armstrong’s signature style “Someone kill the DJ/ Shoot the fucking DJ.”
While the album doesn’t have the level of hard-hitting tracks and gritty lyrics of their earlier albums, there are a few moments across the album that almost make it back there. The opening track, Nuclear Family starts off the album with a powerful punk-rock punch. Its raging power chords and heavy-footed drums are classic Green Day touches that let you know exactly where the band has come from.
The production, while a little too polished for the likes of earlier albums, blends the track into a mix of their old and new works. Let Yourself Go’s jittery vocals and lyrical repetitions reek of the punk-rock days of Dookie and Insomniac. The song paints a rather vivid image of Armstrong’s middle finger pushed in the face of whoever and whatever stands in his way. It’s a perfect fit for future set lists as a mosh-inducing bridge across their discography. And of course with lyrics that parents will see fit to ban in their houses, this track should be a hit with fans young and old alike.
Fell For You is a perfectly classic, if somewhat clichéd, Green Day love song. The guitar lead chorus and Tré Cool’s steady drum fills, paired with heartbroken lyrics and Armstrong’s emotionally pitch-perfect vocals, have been a template for Green Day over the years, and yet again they have well and truly hit the mark.
Sweet 16, a rather tender song of young love, is another quiet moment on the track with honest lyrics and an infectious melody. Together these tracks provide quieter moments between the fast tempo, rock sound of the rest of the album, while still keeping the energy up in the gritty edge and honest lyrics.
In its total, ¡Uno! has earned its place amongst Green Day’s discography. With its punk rock beats and passion lyrics strengthened by Armstrong’s vocals, the album is infectious and perfect to play on repeat at full volume. Of course, as only the first of three albums, the release dates for ¡Dos! and ¡Tre! cannot come soon enough.
Bethany Williams