¡Uno! ¡Dos! ¡Tres!

Since 2009, after the release of 21st Century Breakdown, news surrounding Green Day was few and far between. However the american punk band has now not only released a set of albums, but the trio has now also become a quartet. The newest member of the group, that brought among others American Idiot, has added Jason White to their ranks. The guitarist who has toured with Green Day on several occasions, and can be heard on previous albums, has now officially been credited as being a band-member. If this will have an impact on the future music that they will release remains to be seen.

Now to the meat of the article, the actual review of the album. ¡Uno!, in contrast to the previous album, is a bit more back to roots for Green Day, relying on a more punky theme. This album is akin more to Dookie or American Idiot more than 21st Century Breakdown. It was released on the 21st of September of last year. One of three singles released prior to the albums was the song ‘Oh Love’, and this song perfectly summarises the rest of the album. Well-placed power-chords, good lyrics, catchy tune and a solo that ain’t half bad (albeit somewhat short) that all mesh together to form quite a addictive song. However, if you are looking for slow/sad type songs this is the wrong album for you; there’s not one ballad on this album, with ‘Sweet 16’ being the closest you get. Although some may be dismayed at the lack of “sadness” to wallow in, the album is still very well balanced with each high-powered song adding something different, and it thus does not feel repetitive at all.

Rather than bore you by describing each and every song, I prefer to describe to you what I feel are the main songs that define this album and hopefully you will agree with me on this. When listening to the CD, ‘Nuclear Family’ will be the first song you encounter, and therefore it must deliver a punch to make you want to keep listening. For me it certainly did that. It may not be the best song of ¡Uno!, but it draws you in with lyrics that I had in my head the rest of the day. Furthermore the collaboration of White and Armstrong is apparent not only in the exquisite solo; the following verse sent a shiver down my spine. The most popular song of the album, named as part of Zane Lowe’s Hottest Tracks of 2012, is ‘Kill the DJ’, although this may have more to do with the profanity in it more than anything else! Looking past the occasional swear word, this is actually a very well crafted song. Armstrong’s vocals in this song are outstanding, powering above the superb bass line, which gives this piece a different feel from what Green Day usually delivers, yet does not fail to impress. This may be a better explanation why this song is quite such a hit. The last song that I really believe defines ¡Uno! is ‘Troublemaker’. If you are a self-proclaimed punk rock enthusiast, then I hope for your sake that you cried out “Hey, I’ve heard that title before”. If you did utter (or think) those words, then I congratulate you and answer, yes, dear reader, Weezer did write a very good as well as successful song of the same name (also Olly Murs released a song of that name, although I hope for your sake you didn’t think of that). Sadly the Green Day song, does not pack the same amount of punch, and the chorus is somewhat lacking. Yet the riff of the verse describes mischievousness nearly perfectly and the solo is the best of the whole album. This song which certainly is not the best of the album still manages to wow me, and it displays the future of what Green Day may be.

¡Uno! is a rocky, fast paced album with enough variety to keep it from being boring, it includes some catchy and well written songs that make it a joy to listen to. I give it a 4.5/5, with that last point not being included because I am dismayed at the lack of a ballad, as I believe that is where Green Day thrive. All in all I think is a great opening for the trio of albums that the band released last year. It promises to be a good collection of albums, if this opening is anything to judge by. Anyhow if you are a Green Day, or just a punk fan, this album should be on your shopping list as it is good enough to warrant its price. Let’s hope the other albums are just as good, fingers crossed!