Review: ‘Revolution Radio’

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Green Day is back with their new album “Revolution Radio” to remind us of the decade some of us long to have been born in. Best known for “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” and “Wake Me When September Ends,” this punk rock group has once again captured the essence of ‘80s rock and bottled it for us to hear.

The 12-track album is the band’s first since “Demolicious” in 2014.

While Green Day has always put emotional depth and intense feelings into their songs, “Revolution Radio” has softened the edges of this once rigid group. The same depth and feelings are still present, just not as intensified. After 30 years of their “the world is against us” mantra, they have turned the tables to a more real and appeasing mindset.

“Somewhere Now” is opened with soft acoustics, something rarely, if ever, featured in this edgy band’s previous songs. While naturally, the song takes a turn in a short minute to their typical uproar, it continues to a softer sound that has shown us rock can also be oddly comforting. Other tracks like “Still Breathing” parallel the calm openings with a wonderful twist that proves this band is still alive and well after 30 years. The love behind tracks like this one shadow the band’s previous popular track “Wake Me Up When September Ends” where death and loss of love are directly paired for them.

The amplified love is apparent and entirely relatable to listeners but can be a risky move with die-hard fans of the band. Most people fall in love with a band because of their unique style. Green Day’s vibes have slightly skewed from the norm in this album, which could stir trouble for those who have been waiting to listen to their high-energy and high-volume songs. This smoother and more serene style is personally more appealing to me because I’m a sucker for slow love songs. While I appreciate the heart-racing value of their older songs, I thoroughly enjoy this almost indie-rock approach they took.

Overall, “Revolution Radio” has been a surprising, yet pleasing, step out of the box for Green Day. The trademark heavy and loud songs are still evident, but the group also tapped into their acoustic rock sense. This album is truly the best of both worlds when it comes to emo rock. The sweet and nostalgic love intertwined with the heavy darkness of the band has made a beautiful swirl of emotions within each song that is easy to enjoy for new and old listeners.

I would give ‘Revolution Radio ’ a B+. The more relaxed vibes were a breath of fresh air accompanied by traces of their head-banging sound to keep true to who they are as a band.