Conspiracy Of One,
The OffspringWhen the Offspring released the multi-million selling 'Americana,' critics and punk purists alike seemed to take great pleasure in slagging the band off for creating, in their eyes, a pop album.
So, with this in mind, what have the Offspring done with 'Conspiracy of One?' To be fair, this is an improvement. It does retain the poppier, MTV-friendly moments that littered its predecessor, but at the same time regains the harder edge that at times they jettisoned.
Don't go by 'Original Prankster' as a guide, that is by far the worst 3 minutes of the record and the most obvious made-for-MTV song since 'Pretty Fly.' However, do go by 'Come Out Swinging' and 'Want You Bad' as fine examples of the band at work. The former has elements of AC/DC fretboard action, the latter a simple, but extremely effective five chord wonder.
There are probably 6 or 7 potential singles on this album, which is no bad thing. 'Million Miles Away' could have come straight from their finest album 'Smash,' whilst 'Dammit I Changed Again' is bound to be a sure-fire live favourite. 'One Fine Day' is classic singalong Offspring, whilst 'Denial, Revisited' slows down the pace and is a poignant break-up song, although it does have 'Gone Away' written all over it.
It's sure to appeal to those who enjoyed 'Americana,' but 'Conspiracy of One' has enough to satisfy those older fans looking for something more punky than its commercial predecessor.
Paul Savage.
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