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Green Day's 21st Century Breakdown

After a wait longer than any prior, precisely 4 years, 8 months and 6 days, Green Day are back at full throttle with their 8th studio album, 21st Century Breakdown. The main question that’s been bothering everyone is not will this be a good album, but will this top American Idiot? To answer that question I ask you to pick up the album and answer it for yourself.

The power punk trio from the Bay Area has always been synonymous with brash lyrics, catchy 3 chord rock and air of confidence unmatched by any band since their major label debut in 1994. This album brings all that to the forefront, along with completely reinventing everything the bands ever done and turning it on full blast.

The bands entire catalogue can be heard throughout Breakdown, the subject matter of American Idiot, the metaphor and symbolism of Warning, the jagged flow of Nimrod, the anger of Insomniac, the brashness of Dookie, and the simple love that thrums throughout 1039sosh and Kerplunk along with a few shocking additions, most notable the impressive vocal range showcased by lead singer, Billie Joe Armstrong.

The album, musical masterpiece aside, follows the rock opera formula of Idiot but is significantly different. Instead of following a strict timeline, Breakdown chooses to follow a disjointed path, focusing on songs about the moment. With no clear storyline, it leaves the listener to decide the true meaning, each song being obvious enough to have a mood but vague enough to relate to any situation. This is something I’ve always admired about Armstrong’s songwriting. He writes for himself but allows his listeners to form an opinion on their own as well.

There are main characters in the album as well: Christian and Gloria. At first glance you can easily rub them off as St. Jimmy and Whatsername but take a closer look or listen if you will and you’ll see a difference. Whatsername fought for the cause quite viciously, it encompassed her and, in the end, lead her to leave Jesus of Suburbia behind. The same can’t be said for Breakdown’s heroine, Gloria. She’s an activist, but a peaceful one. In the track 21 Guns it poses the question, “Do you know what's worth fighting for, when it's not worth dying for?” Certainly a question Whatsername would never ask.

Christian is also different. Where St. Jimmy was more of the devil on Jesus of Suburbia’s shoulder, Christian is a vengeful protester. When he sees something’s wrong with something he’ll burn it down and destroy it whereas Gloria would be the one to reform it. The sharp distinction between the two is seen in the track listings of songs. Having a song like Christian’s Inferno (the first appearance of Christian with almost diabolic vocals and synthesized guitars) followed by a song like Last Night On Earth (an endearing love song, so sweet it shocks you coming after a song so vicious) for example.

The topics brought up in Breakdown are about as surprising as just how brilliant this album is. Everything from love to rage to peaceful and vengeful protest to modern technology and pharmaceutical dependency, Breakdown is like a guide to life in the 21st Century and just how bleak it may seem but with a sense of hope strung throughout.

Green Day are certainly back and aren’t taking anything for granted. Breakdown is a musical accomplishment I haven’t seen achieved in this decade. On par with bands like The Who and The Clash, whose influence is most surely heard throughout as well, Green Day have risen to the top and this record only proves why they deserve to be there in the first place. If you want an album that’ll make you think, make you feel, make you cry and smile and laugh and get up and protest then this is definitely the one for you.