So the cover of Green Day's new LP entitled 21st Century Breakdown is a little lame, and a little Think Tank. But that doesn't really mean anything. I always found the American Idiot cover kind of ridiculous, and I mostly loved that album. So, go figure. Anyway, now we have our first actual taste of just what these former Bay Area punks have got to say in their new era of aging activist posturing. "21st Century Breakdown" (click the link to listen) is not only the titular track off of Green Day's upcoming eighth studio album (due out in May), but also its opening cut. And, as such, I can see it working in the context of an album; on it's own, however, not so much. It's a little boring, and when it's not exactly same-y, it comes off too much like it's trying to recapture "Jesus of Suburbia," which is such a huge mistake on several different levels. Armstrong is one of the weaker links here (though there are plenty to go around) because, while his newly found SOCIALLY. AWARE. conscious can lead to some pretty passionate atmospheres, it usually ends up not much more than pitiful poetry--a lot of which was endearing on American Idiot, given the nature of the album. I don't really see him getting the same pass twice. I'd say that I was disappointed, but who was really expecting much here?
