Days Go By

To begin with let me clarify that The Offspring were the first band I ever loved. I barely had any interest in music until I heard them and through them discovered Punk Rock and the subculture that 15 years later has become an integral part of my life. I love The Offspring and I'd love to say that this album is yet another gem but I can't.

The first two tracks, The Future Is Now and Secrets From The Underground come roaring out of the gates and are everything you'd want from The Offspring. It's the perfect way for them to start the album and for a moment made me think they were back on form.

Days Go By is okay and yes, as others have pointed out, it's quite similar to Times Like These by the Foo Fighters but ultimately it's a bit ho hum and just sort of plods along a bit. It may have worked better if it hadn't been placed after two of the strongest tracks on the album but as it is I find my self either skipping it or not paying it much attention.

Turning Into You is a pacy but introspective track that seems to be channeling the spirit of an older Offspring track I can't quite seem to place but overall a good solid Offspring track if not one of their best.

Hurting As One is another very good high energy track. Even though it seems to be re-using the chorus from Something To Believe In it still feels fresh somehow.

So far so good but then we reach the middle of the album and it's not just lackluster it's rip my own ears off dreadful. Cruising California is just terrible in every respect. They seem to be trying to do something a bit like Katy Perry which is NEVER good and it's about as embarrassing as your dad trying to dance. And it's NOT A JOKE! Trust me I looked it up. All I Have Left Is You is as sickeningly sweet as it sounds. I think they're attempting to re-produce the dark maturity of Gone Away but it's about as convincing as Nickleback trying to write something intelligent and insightful rather than flogging the same bland, knuckle dragging crap for trendy middle aged yuppies and teenagers going through 6 month "Rocker" phase. It just doesn't work. OC Guns is just excrement. Some weird Latino Ragga song complete with Dexter's toe curling attempt at an accent. It's not big, it's not clever, just stop it!

After that the re-recording of Dirty Magic is pure bliss. Unfortunately it mainly serves to show how good the band USED to be. Ultimately there wasn't really a need to re-record the track but it's a welcome addition that builds on rather than sullies the original.

I Wanna Secret Family With You somehow sounds a tiny bit Bon Jovi. it's not bad and kind of fun but feels like filler to me.

The last two songs, Dividing by Zero and Slim Pickens..., Are BRILLIANT. To my mind the best two tracks here. Fast as hell and catchy in all the right ways but still ballsy. A perfect way to end an album.

There's slightly more good here than bad. The album starts and ends very strongly and proves the Offspring still have what it takes to write great songs but when it goes wrong it goes disastrously wrong. OC Guns and Cruising California are the worst songs the band have ever done. There's nothing wrong with bands experimenting but it doesn't work here. That said there's enough here for long time fans with a spare tenner lying around to take a punt.

I first discovered the Offspring back in 1998 when I was entering the first stages of teenage life, and I have never looked back. They have always been one of my favourite artists, and alongside pennywise, afi, pitchisfter and bodyjar are perhaps one of the few bands I still have on my mp3 player regularly.

The Offspring have always been powerful, bouncy and at some point in an album deep, and this keeps the formula going. The sound is very similar to Splinter/ conspiracy of one (which isn't a bad thing) and it feels like they have settled into their place within music, and are no longer trying to drive and innovate. Which again, isn't a bad thing. It's a great album, catchy tunes, some deep messages, some bouncy fun, that same mix of musical brilliance that I fell in love with years ago.

For an Offspring fan, this is a pretty risk free purchase. For someone looking to get into The Offspring, go and get ignition or Americana first.

Disclaimer (excuse the pun): I'm a massive Offspring fan and have been for over half my life, so this review will be full of references and comparisons to other things that they've done in the past. Anyway, on with the album:

1. The Future is Now: Wow. On first listen, I was certainly not expecting the strength and speed of the opening song. It really does put you in mind of a longer version of "All I Want" in terms of the blistering pace, and there's a splash of Half-Truism's slightly more mature sound in there too. The breakdown is slightly weaker (a trend in the most recent Offspring albums), but The Future is Now does what any opening song should do - hooks you in and doesn't let go: 9/10
2. Secrets from the Underground: This works really well after The Future is Now, one fades into the other and then this explodes into life. The chorus is really powerful and the lyrics are exactly what you'd want from a punk song - rebelling against authority, hearkening back to the entirety of Smash in this respect. It's really catchy and builds the pace of the album nicely: 9/10
3. Days Go By: A lot of people have given this song stick, and I can see why - it's somewhat tamer than the punk songs that made me fall in love with this band. However, the lyrics are very relate-able, and I really like the opening riff. Think "Times like These" by the Foos, but again it's come under criticism for sounding a little too like the Foo Fighters' song. I honestly don't mind, it's a solid song, with a solid chorus and is an example of the diversity that makes the Offspring so easy to listen to: 8/10
4. Turning into You: Dear God, this is a good song. It's fast, punchy and could have come straight off Conspiracy of One. There's another instance of a slow-ish breakdown, but the sheer energy of the rest of the song means that the break is a necessary one. Definitely a highlight for those who've been pining for ye olde Offspring: 10/10
5. Hurting as One: Hello, Smash, long time no see. The chorus is beautifully similar to "Something to Believe in", the verses are great, and there's not even the slightest hint of the "Emo" that the title suggests. Not much else to say, great song: 10/10
6. Cruising California: Hmmm, I'm still not sure what to make of this one, to be honest. It's a parody of the California way of life, but that way of life is foreign to me, so I'm not sure I truly appreciate it. I think the fact that I've not really listened to this track as often as the others on the album is testament to the fact that it's the weakest song so far: 5/10
7. All I Have Left is You: This is the obligatory slow one, like "Kristy, Are You Doing Ok?", so a lot of people will dismiss it out of hand. However, it's their loss - the vocals really are splendid, I've never heard Dexter sing quite like he does in the first verse of this. It's the longest song on the album so there's also a sense of a gradual build up to a fine ending, and it's another showcase of the diversity of the album: 8/10
8: OC Guns: I pretty much categorise this with Cruising California, only slightly better. The Mexican flavours are obvious in the lyrics and the guitars, which I really like. However, on first listen, I kept on expecting the song to explode in a similar fashion to how "All I Want" blasts your eardrums after the quiet of "Intermission", but every opportunity is missed. It's a half-decent song, but the chance for a barrage of punk is passed over, and that's a disappointment: 6.5/10
9. Dirty Magic: A fan favourite (it's definitely one of mine), and a great choice to celebrate Ignition's 20-year anniversary. It's a cleaner sound that the original, as to be expected, but the really change is in the chorus. The addition of backing vocals, and a slight lyrical change (don't worry if you loved the chorus of the original, it's an addition rather than an amendment) completely alter the feel of the song. While in original, the singer didn't really feel much anger towards the girl that the song is directed at, this one does. Instead of a lament of the fact that he both loves and hates her, this version seems to make the singer's frustration with his situation powerfully obvious. Combine that with the fact that punk is an expression of frustration and you turn a great song of old into a masterpiece: 10/10
10. I Wanna Secret Family (With You): A lighter song lyrically, this is a both satirical and slightly jokey. It's a good solid song and the tone of the guitars in the intro really does remind me of Green Day. This a feel-good song and dispels any blues that the intensity of Dirty Magic may have brought on: 8/10
11. Dividing By Zero: This is the section of the album that really shines for me. The tone of the guitar just before this song really gets going is so similar to "Tehran", way back on their Self-Titled début album. It's fast and just genuinely brilliant music - this is the way punk should sound: 10/10
12. Slim Pickens: Personally, this is my favourite on the album. Lyrically, this criticises society in a way that only a punk song can, in a way that the Offspring do best. This is certainly "Not the One" to Dividing by Zero's "So Alone", the two songs are short, work well together and hit you hard. I love the neat little homage to "You're gonna go Far, Kid", but the thing that I really enjoy about this song is the structure of it. Call me slow, but took me about eight or nine listens to discern which parts were the verses and which was the chorus, and indeed where one ended and the other began. This song is just anarchy given sound form, the riff is good, the backing vocals are perfect and the ending is just superb. Other bands should listen to this to learn the best way to close out an album, it's fantastic: 10/10 (is not really high enough for this)

My general verdict then is that this is a exquisitely good album. The power and pace of the Offspring is evident right from the word go, and although it slows down a little in the middle of the album, the final two songs typify what an excellent band the Offspring are. The remake of Dirty Magic is a bonus, and speaking of bonuses, I'd go for the extended edition for the live version of "The Kids aren't Alright". To sum up, a thoroughly enjoyable album that I can't recommend enough.