Nearly four years after releasing the critically-panned 2020 album “Father of All…,” Green Day has found their footing once again with a surprisingly good album.
“Saviors,” the fourteenth studio album from the rock trio, has a youthful, bombastic energy to it and is a return to form for the group. With a total of 15 tracks, the vast majority of the songs are memorable, energetic and packed with catchy guitar riffs.
The album opener, “The American Dream is Killing Me,” (probably the most Green Day-sounding song title on the album) is much more in line with the sounds of their 2009 blockbuster album “21st Century Breakdown” than “Father of All…” The song’s chorus is earworm-y, repetitive and is particularly reminiscent of the band’s 2009 single “Know Your Enemy.” Green Day are sticking to a tried and true formula with this song –– anthemic, repetitive, catchy pop-punk –– and, for the most part, it works.
While it is only three minutes long, the band were just a bit too ambitious with musical dynamics as there is an unnecessary orchestral breakdown after the second chorus. Overall, it is a good song, but there are certainly much better tracks on the album.
The strongest of the singles leading up to the album comes second in the track list, “Look Ma, No Brains!” The song sounds like classic Green Day, stylistically popping with Billie Joe Armstrong’s amazing crunchy guitar tone and flourishing bass lines from Mike Dirnt. At two minutes in length, the song is a well-crafted punk banger that does not overstay its welcome.
Next up is “Bobby Sox,” a more sentimental-sounding song showing Armstrong directly referencing his bisexuality in the lyrics, alternating between “Do you wanna be my girlfriend?” and “Do you wanna be my boyfriend?” in the choruses. “Bobby Sox” is essentially Green Day’s version of a ballad, still high tempo with loud distorted guitars but has an element of tenderness to it that is emphasized by the melodic backing vocals “ooo”s. It is an example of the band consciously escaping monotony by mixing up the vibe after a very high-tempo track.
The strongest track on the album, “Corvette Summer,” comes later. In a way it calls back to the band’s classic track “Brain Stew,” as it opens with an isolated electric guitar riff, yet another example of Green Day sticking to what they are good at as opposed to being super experimental.
What makes this song the best on the album is its infectious chorus, “Get around, I can get around. F— it up on my rock ‘n’ roll.” “Corvette Summer” is a simple song that shows that simplicity is part of the band’s appeal.
“Living in the ‘20s,” the twelfth in the track list, is yet another high point. While the chorus is strong, what makes the song stand out is its epic, momentous guitar riff. It is the best guitar riff on the album, which is notable as the LP is filled with catchy riffs.
While the album shines bright with its higher tempo tracks, relatively softer tracks like “Goodnight Adeline” and “Father to a Son” feel somewhat generic as they lack the blustering power of the album’s strongest tracks or the catchiness of a song like “Bobby Sox.”
A problem with many aging rock bands is that they do the same tired old thing decades into their career, but for Green Day this is not an issue because they still have the immense energy that has made them so appealing for so many years.
While the album is not innovative by any means, it shows the band sticking to their brand of pop punk, and it totally works. While it is assuredly not going to be the crossover mainstream moment in the band’s career like their classics “Dookie” and “American Idiot” were, Green Day have proved they can still churn out a solid record that stays true to their style.
