Until last winter’s Greek riots it could safely be assumed that the postmodern teen had ceased to give a burning shit about that most outmoded of rock culture’s cornerstones; revolution. Today’s youth (I can only barely use this categorization without fear of fuddy-duddiness by being a member of it myself) are hardly motivated enough to read a manifesto, nevermind learn how to concoct a Molotov cocktail. Green Day’s previous attempt at an incendiary masterwork, American Idiot, was like giving out free copies of the Anarchist’s Cookbook at a Fianna Fail ard-fheis. What Idiot did was act as a rallying point for anti-Bush, anti-capitalist moaners as unsure what to do to rectify the situation as the three Californian snot-noses who made the album. Now the barometer reads action: with an entire economic and political system full of question marks and demoralization today’s youth are as desperate for answers and action as any other sector in society. Green Day’s solution?
Um… run away?
If you get as far as the back-end of 21st Century Breakdown you’ll get the nasal lines “I don’t want to live in the modern world… I don’t give a shit about the modern age.” Another album of transition-year-level bitching, then.
What Idiot lacked in a cohesive message it made up for in having actually-rather-good punk songs (and actually-rather-disgusting lighters-in-the-air affairs). 21st Century Breakdown, another ‘rock opera’ cannot claim to have nearly as many petrol bomb pop hits tucked under its hoodie either. The album’s opening movement ‘Heroes and Cons’ is mid-paced classic rock crapola, offering none of the band’s trademark dynamanism and catchiness. The album grows its balls in its middle age, with heavier riffs and amphetamine energy, only for them to wither as the band expend their singles allowance.
Nevermind a Greek riot, 21st Century Breakdown couldn’t soundtrack the senior citizen’s march convincingly.
Daniel Gray
