Yes , you'll find all the trademark supercharged power pop punk that put Green Day on the map on American Idiot (the title track and first single is a prime example of that). You'll also find some of the balladry and serious songwriting ("Boulevard Of Broken Dreams") that made them a crossover success just like "Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)" did a few years back.You'll also find Billie Joe Armstrong's knack for memorable pop melodies and endless hooks as intact as his trademark sneering vocals.You'll find Tre Cool's manic drumming and bassist Mike Dirnt's rocksteady bass work as solid as ever. So what are the surprises you ask? Well for one Green Day's use of the studio and technology is much more apparent on this record. As opposed to some of the bands earlier efforts, it sounds like the band decided to take a little more time and add a little more studio trickery to the songs instead of the live feel of albums like Dookie and Isomniac. Not that this is a bad thing ....it works for the record making it stand out a little more. It sounds more textured or layered if you will.

The biggest surprise is probably the fact that American Idiot is a punk rock opera.That's right a rock opera just like The Who's "Tommy" but punk. In a way I'm surprised it worked but Green Day pulls it off." Jesus of Suburbia" (which is also the main characters name) is a nine minute piece (no typo.. nine minutes) with 5 seperate parts each in a distinct different musical style ranging from country to piano ballad. Who would have thought listening to "Basketcase" or "Welcome To Paradise" that there would ever be such a thing as a nine minute Green Day song ....and a Green Day power ballad ("Wake Me Up When September Ends"). Don't worry there is still plenty of punk rock ("Letterbomb", "Give Me Novacaine") it's just a little more intellectual now. It may be a touch more thought provoking but it still rocks. Regardless of what critics say Green Day has managed to evolve album to album with the best of them. Dookie was more mainstream and better produced than Kerplunk and Slappy Hours, Isomniac was a bit darker than Dookie, Nimrod mixed Dookie and Insomniac together and added an acoustic gem ("Good Riddance") and more produced arrangements, Warning was much more acoustic driven, Shenanigans was what it was, and now the boys delivered their most ambitious efforts yet ...a epic punk rock opera called American Idiot". Not bad for a couple of punk rockers from Berkley, California.

It's no Dookie but American Idiot is a solid album worth a listen or two if you have the chance... and it's a helluva lot better than Shenanigans.

KF