iDos!

I don't mind that Green Day sound different to Dookie, I loved Warning and enjoyed both American Idiot and 20th Century Breakdown. Uno! was ok, Yet I cant find a single positive reason about Dos!... All the songs are shallow rock by numbers with the exception of one, and you can tell there is no feeling or emotion going into them. The low point of the whole farce is the exception, Nightlife, which is such terrible pop tripe, like all pop songs these days, about nothing (well about going out). If i wanted to listen to Kesha i would buy Kesha...
Respect to Green Day for what they are trying to achieve, but there is a reason people who write there own songs don't generally do triple albums - they cant create enough quality content, and Dos is proof that despite Billie Joe's prolific songwriting talent, this was a step to far even for him.

I've been a Green Day fan since I was 12 (ish) years old when they broke through with Dookie but I had mixed feelings about them releasing a trilogy of albums. My biggest concern was that there would be more quantity than quality and while the three albums deliver some excellent songs, there are too many that don't really get me excited. Personally I would have preferred they take the best songs from Uno, Dos and Tre and create one outstanding album instead of three albums that are okay. I personally prefer Uno and Tre - Uno has more of a punk rock feel and Tre is more mellow. For me the high points of Dos are Lazy Bones and Amy, both of which are pretty great. Low point of Dos (and ALL Green Day albums) for me is Nightlife - I can understand the band experimenting etc but this song is not for me and I just don't like it. On the whole Dos disappointed me, I expected more.

I'm not one of those Green Day fans who sullenly complain that Green Day don't sound like they did in the 90s and that everything they do these days is powerpop - I loved Green Day in the 90s, I loved Green Day in the 00s, and in the 10s? I still love these guys. "Uno" was a great little record, way underrated, and had it's share of catchy numbers and enough moments to remind me of why I love Green Day. Unfortunately, the follow-up, "Dos", is less impressive record.

I'll start with the songs I liked. "Stray Heart" might be the best song on the record. It's ridiculously catchy and has this bouncy, toe-tapping bass that you can dance to and not just pogo up and down to like in live shows but actually dancing. It's very un-Green Day in that its not punk-pop but it's still a really fun and enjoyable tune. Conversely, "Ashley" is the most Green Day sounding song on the record ("Nimrod"-era GD) with a catchy hook and driving beat, complete with trademark Tre drums. The closing song, "Amy", is Billie-Joe's tribute ballad to Amy Winehouse but beside the sentiment is a really great tune and is the song I've come back to more than any other on this record. Great sound, it has a very bare arrangement with just vocals and guitar. "Wild One" would be my final pick of the good songs on this record. It's catchy as hell with a slow and pounding beat. It sounds like a Noel Gallagher song from "Morning Glory" era Oasis complete with full on have-it guitar solo.

There were only a couple of songs I completely disliked. "Lady Cobra" is a total rip off of the White Stripes' "Fell in Love with a Girl" but not nearly as good and "Nightlife" is this record's "Kill the DJ". It's just plain bad, slow, stupid, interminable, and has this horrible rap throughout. Really wish this had been left off the record.

As for the others, well - you know the phrase "damning with faint praise"? That's what sums up the rest of the songs. "Baby Eyes", "Lazy Bones", "Stop When the Lights Flash Red", and "Wow! That's Loud" all have nice moments, a cool riff, but are ultimately forgettable b-sides. "**** Time" has this really weird moment where Billie-Joe goes "aaahhh aaahhh" into the mic. You know when someone imitates a large crowd cheering? That's what it sounds like. And "Makeout Party" is funny (middle aged guys rocking out about spin the bottle and truth or dare) with a great bassline but is still a really average song.

After a strong start with "Uno", "Dos" is a dip in quality but has a few excellent songs on it that are definitely worth checking out. Here's hoping Green Day finish their 2012 trilogy strong with "Tre".