Monkey with a Typewriter

To paraphrase Homer Simpson... "Green Day... is there anything they can't do?"

There's nothing like watching a band reinvent themselves to become something different, yet familiar. Green Day is still writing catchy, hook-driven punk (although punk purists might argue the term). They've added a few new layers - political awareness and maturity. American idiot unfolds like a hybrid of epic prog-rock and punk opera. The album shifts between classic Green Day pogo rockers and newer Green Day radio friendly ballads, telling the tale of a suburban wasteland where the kids aren't all right, the people in power are corrupt, and the youth are just to overwhelmed with their own problems to care. The lyrics (which you'll probably need to read - Billy Joe Armstrong is assaulting the mic with that quasi-British thing) are some of the more meaningful seen from the group. They're older now, more mature, and able to reflect on their youths and offer lessons to those coming up. Standout tracks like "Are We the Waiting", "Boulevard of Broken Dreams", "St. Jimmy", "City of the Damned", and "Give Me Novacaine". Check them out at greenday.com