Green Day have never been a band to pass up an opportunity for doing something completely unexpected. From snot-nosed Bay Area punks riffing about masturbation and methamphetamines, to eye-liner clad stadium rockers and, now, straight-up party dads. Resplendent in leopard print and creepers, with each year brings a new iteration from Billie, Mike and Tre.
Itâs been four years since Green Day penned the visceral âRevolution Radioâ, very much a record for its time, in the chaos of a previously unthinkable Donald Trump presidency. It represented an almighty return to form for a band that many had thought were about to call time on their glittering career. The intensity and cutting tone was Armstrong back at his songwriting best, and reignited both band and fan base.
If âRevolution Radioâ felt like the release valve of pent up fury, aimed not just at the current political climate but at the lost years Green Day spent working on an ill-fated trilogy, then âFather of All Motherfuckersâ is the after party. Itâs the trio letting loose, trying to sing like Prince, and creating the kind of infectious songs that will be rattling around your head for days.
The opening salvo of âFather Of AllâŚâ and âFire Ready Aimâ, is Green Day in full stadium rock mode, with enormous choruses, punchy lyrics and that trusty four-chord structure. There are hints of Joan Jett in the grooving âOh Yeah!â, while the 50s rock and roll-infused âStab You In The Heartâ could easily be mistaken for a ‘Foxboro Hot Tubs’ B-side.
As with all of Green Dayâs post-2010 releases, there are nostalgia-laden tracks full of references to young love and chaotic parties. This recordâs contribution to the narrative is delivered in the one-two of an almost Weezer-esque feel-good summer vibe track of âMeet Me On The Roofâ, and the truly superb, angst-laden âI Was a Teenage Teenagerâ.
âFather of All Motherfuckersâ is a record that pulls you in all different directions. It refuses to be defined by one genre – there are far too many aspects going on at the same time – and, in theory, it shouldnât work. Yet, somehow it does.Â
Itâs pretty much the culmination of what Green Day are in 2020. Theyâve done their era-defining record, twice, theyâve done concepts, theyâve done political statements and, in their own words, with this record they just wanted to create âa messâ. As a mascot, a unicorn vomiting a rainbow could not be more apt for their 13th album.
Is âFather of All Motherfuckersâ an instant classic Green Day album? No. Are those die hard fans pining for a return to a pre-American Idiot going to be happy? Probably not. What it is, however, is 26 minutes of the Oakland punks letting off steam and having a hell of a time doing so.
TOM WALSH