After a four-year-long absence, Green Day are back and loud as ever in their 13th studio album, Revolution Radio. The album, released on October 7, is one of their more personal ones, reflecting on the current state of America and Armstrong's own struggles as a recovering addict. This is the first Green Day album released since the widely-criticized ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, and ¡Tré!, which Armstrong himself even criticized after coming out of his stint in rehab.
Revolution Radio derives its title from a Black Lives Matter protest Armstrong witnessed in New York City in March 2014. While not solely political, it does touch on some events from the current political and social environment in America. "Bang Bang", the first single released in August of this year, finds itself inside the interpreted mindset of an active shooter. The song is angry, fast-paced, and loud as hell.
Likewise, the title track "Revolution Radio", much like a Black Lives Matter protest, focuses on the importance of banding together to form a common cause. This song calls to "legalize the truth" and harks back to the media's silencing of social justice protests.
As Revolution Radio continues, Armstrong steers away from the political and starts to focus more on the personal. "Still Breathing" is a surprise for Green Day. It's a beautiful anthem about resilience in the face of depression and struggling with addiction.
"'Cause I'm still breathing/I'm still breathing on my own/My head's above the rain and roses, making my way away", Armstrong sings in the song's chorus. This song is exceptionally personal, recounting the newborn feeling he has now that he is free from drugs.
In addition to the deeply intimate songs, this album also has more fun ones, like "Bouncing Off The Walls". This song seems to recall an earlier Green Day scene when they played smaller venues to smaller crowds.
To no surprise, this album also has a few songs where Armstrong seems to long for his younger days with bandmates Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool. "Outlaws" is solely about missing the past and remembering being young and reckless.
Musically, Revolution Radio is solid. Unlike the band's previously three albums, which were all over the place, this one sounds like care was taken into writing and recording it. It's hard to not rock out while listening. There are lots of great guitar riffs, power chords and drum solos.
There also seems to be a real element of comfort about this album. While it does ask a lot of questions about what is happening in the current political climate, Armstrong appears to be certain in himself as a person. Perhaps this is reflective of the band's four-year absence, where they were able to take a lot of time to regroup and reevaluate themselves as musicians.
Revolution Radio, while still as rock-filled as previous Green Day albums, has a particular level of maturity about it. This band seems wiser, and that is reflected in their music. They've proven that taken a long, well-deserved break doesn't immediately discredit a band's worth or level of talent.
Sometimes, to bounce back from a hard fall, you need to take a break for a while. Green Day have done just that with this release, and they seem to have a very full couple of years ahead of them.
