Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace,
The Offspring
Once upon a time The Offspring were a punk band. I'm not sure what you'd describe them as now, but as they've gotten older their sound has gotten poppier and more melodic and while there are still the odd songs which hark back to 'Smash', Dexter, Noodles and co in 2008 are a much more laid back band. You could argue the band have been in steady decline since 'Americana' - for me they've just tweaked their sound a little too far and they sound more like a new band than the same group of guys who wrote 'Come Out And Play'.
As they've got older the band have become slicker and better produced and this album continues the theme. At times it's aggresive and faster, at others it's the same pop rubbish that the band have become known for. 'Rise and Fall...' is inconsistent to say the least. 'Trust In You' is a real belter, and while 'You're Gonna Go Far, Kid' is an out and out pop song, it's not as silly as some of the tracks the band have pushed on us in recent times. 'Hammerhead' isn't that bad either. But from here it all goes a bit to pot. There are some Green Day-isms (latter day Greem Day anyway) and even some My Chemical Romance-isms - and some of the lyrics are cheesy even by The Offspring's standards.
Compare this to 'Ixnay...' and you'll be very disappointed. But then The Offspring as a punk band died many years ago. Compare this to 'Americana' and you'll also be pissed off. But take it for what it is and it's OK - it's not horrendous (although there are a few poor tracks), but it's not that great either. I didn't think I'd ever use the words Offspring, disposable and pop in the same sentence, but it's more than apt when it comes to this record.
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