21st Century Breakdown

I was listening to my favorite radio station and they were giving away free copies of the new Green Day CD 21st Century Breakdown. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to win a free CD so I called in. Long story short, I won and after about 2 weeks I got it in the mail.

The first Green Day CD I ever bought was American Idiot and that was back when I was just a crazy kid. I always saw Green Day as this band who had these opinions about government and views that they expressed in their music always seemed bold and this feeling I had as a kid was validated when I received 21st Century Breakdown. They haven’t gotten away from what they truly believe in which is good. It’s got a classic feel to it, but it’s the new stuff, and who doesn’t like new stuff?

The CD itself is broken into 3 acts: Heroes and Guns, Charlatans and Saints and Horseshoes and Handgrenades, each telling a different story and each having the sound you would expect from Green Day and to be honest every single one of these songs has the potential to be a single. Here’s the CD’s title track:

Excluding the opening bit that sounds like a radio transmission, It’s the first title track on the CD and I can see why. It pulls you right into it with a sound you would expect from Green Day, which pulls skeptic older fans in and gives the newer listeners a taste of what these guys do. Ever listen to a band, think they’re really good, then hear some of their old stuff and just don’t like it? 21st Century Breakdown is exactly what the band is supposed to sound like and is a good spot to start if you’re a new fan.

Compared to older songs off of say… Dookie, I still hear their original sound. The vibe they give off hasn’t changed since the beginning, but actually comparing it side by side you can tell that these guys have changed in skill, experience and age.

My personal favorite on the CD is 21 Guns. It’s a slower song compared to the rest of the CD, but what drew me to it was the sudden change from acoustic guitar to electric when you’re pulled into the chorus. Some bands just don’t know how to pull this off, but 21 Guns flows smoothly from acoustic to electric with a beat and it’s soft on the ears. There’s a decent solo 3:15 in too. Nothing too extravagant to take away from the flow of the song and it keeps the flow of the song going.

For a guy who doesn’t really listen to Green Day much, this new album is definitely something worth checking out. If you’re a long-time fan of Green Day, you’ll like it. If you’re a new fan, It’s as good a place to start as any.