Can "Saviors" save at least itself?

Here we are for the first album review by gignwings. Opening the dance is Green Day's 14th album, "Saviors", released on January 19, 2024, the year in which "Dookie" and "American Idiot" celebrate their 30th and 20th anniversaries, respectively. This will be my first listening, and I will listen to the entire album and provide on-the-spot comments on each song. After the very disappointing last album, "Father of All...", it is difficult, if not impossible, to do worse. The singles released so far suggest a return to classic punk in the style of Green Day, and this gives us hope. Enough with the chatter, let's start:

1. The American Dream is killing me

Green Day talking sh*t about America will never get old and will always feel like home. Good tempo, cool riffs, catchy sound in general, but nothing we haven't heard before. Definitely, the true sound that has defined Green Day over the years is felt, and perhaps, after "Father of All", this is more than fine.

2. Look Ma, No Brains

Second single of the album. Mid. Very mid song in my opinion. Starts immediately with all three playing, and even with a fast-paced rhythm, the song remains flat with forgettable lyrics.

3. Bobby Sox:

Finally, after hearing about it continuously on social media, I heard it for the first time. I can't explain it well, but this song makes me feel something inside. A mix of anger, melancholy, but also revenge. A simple lyric that seems like the classic song (sounds a bit like Weezer) addressed to a girl we have a crush on. Then suddenly, this girlfriend becomes a boyfriend and then a best friend. Is he addressing the same person, or are they different people? I lean towards the first, but it's hard to say on the first listen. I think it might be somehow related to Billie's bisexuality. I can already imagine at the concert with my friend Davide jumping and singing loudly to this song, so for me, this is more than enough.

4. One Eyed Bastard:

Fourth and final single before the release of the entire album. For a moment, I thought "So What" by P!nk had started. I haven't heard all the others yet, but this will probably be one of the heaviest. Angry song about revenge. Mike Dirnt killed it with that cool, ringing bass line that starts at the beginning of the second verse right after the chorus. Good track overall.

5. Dilemma:

Third single, so not a first listen. Billie Joe opens up, talking about his problems with alcohol and drugs. The lyrics could also address other addiction issues like love itself, although the video suggests otherwise. I also start to perceive a certain change in songwriting. What had always distinguished Billie were frequent metaphors to describe his moods, but now it seems much more direct without too many twists of words. The song is authentic and flows well. While I appreciate this more straightforward style, at times I found it a bit obvious and borderline tautological.

6. 1981

From now on, they're all first listens. Probably the most Green Day-ish song so far. Billie, Mike, and Tre all start together immediately, unlike the previous ones where it usually starts with the guitar (except for "Look Ma, No Brains"). High tempo, catchy melody and choruses, overall a pleasant track. After doing some research, I believe that 1981 refers to the year of MTV's birth, but I could be wrong. Very fun song.

7. Goodnight Adelaine

Here's the first waving hands song. I don't know why, but this is one of those songs that most people probably won't like, but for some reason, I like it. From the punk rock of the previous song, it transitions to a much more classic rock, not typical of Green Day's style. I know it has nothing to do with it, but for some reason, the first few seconds of the song reminded me of "The Office" theme in terms of sound.

8. Coma City

Punky sound. Description of a city where anarchy reigns, and children play while gunshots are heard in the distance, unfortunately not so unusual these days. The song, in general, has the classic punk sounds and a fast pace, but nothing unforgettable. We have already heard the same type of song on the album "21st Century Breakdown" with "Murder City." The final jam session is very nice, where Tre Cool finally got to show off his drumming skills.

9. Corvette Summer

We're back with a classic rock very much in the style of a convertible car and windblown hair. However, unlike "Goodnight Adelaine", this one convinced me decidedly less. The lyrics, in general, are very poor, touching the bottom with a chorus of incredible banality. Worst so far. 

10. Suzie Chapsticks

Nope. I don't love the tone and overall mood of the song. It's too flat; it's one of those songs where you expect something to happen, and then the song ends. I find the "paparara" sung in chorus before the final verse annoying, but this is a personal taste. Compared to the promising start, this second part of the album is convincing me less and less.

11. Strange Days Are Here to Stay

Give Billie a guitar, a sequence of power chords played in palm-muting, and I'll be the happiest person in the world. After the last tracks, I was a bit depressed, but this cheered me up. Fun lyrics mentioning "ever since Bowie died it hasn't been the same" or "all the madmen going mental, grandma's on fentanyl now."

12. Living in the 20's

Hell yeah! Interesting start with this very dirty guitar in the style of "Kerplunk" that vaguely reminded me of "Welcome to Paradise." Come to think of it, it also reminds me of "Horseshoes and Handgrenades" from "21st Century Breakdown" with these accents of screaming in the finale. In this song, our society is portrayed ironically and somewhat controversially, with hints of mass shootings and sexual relationships between humans and robots. To be honest, I'm a bit confused about the musical direction; I'll probably have a clearer idea at the end of the album.

13. Father to a Son

Mmmmm, where do I even start? When the titles of the 15 songs in this album were released, this was surely one that created more expectations because Billie was writing a song dedicated to his children 20 years after the one he had dedicated to his father. It's clear that reaching the levels of "Wake Me Up When September Ends" was difficult if not impossible, but were you not expecting something better? Forgettable or at least absent verses worthy of Billie's songwriting. Don't get me wrong; it's not a bad song, but it could have been so much better. A missed opportunity.

14. Saviors

Here's the song that gives the title to the entire album. It starts with the megaphone effect vocals, often used by Green Day in their discography. There's nothing wrong with this song, but I don't like it. I find it terribly boring. Choruses are always a bit banal, but unfortunately, this is a constant in numerous songs on this album. I expected something more from this track.

15. Fancy Sauce

Here we are at the finishing line. Ahhh, too bad for the chorus. It starts slow with voice and guitar, and then the choruses where bass and guitar also come in but with a rhythm like a school bus trip song. Cool lyrics though. The second verse of this song is probably one of my favorites on the entire album.

FINAL THOUGHTS

After 15 songs for a total of 46 minutes and 2 seconds, I can add "Saviors" to the list of albums I've listened to. Let's reiterate once again that this was a first listen, and therefore, these are initial opinions that may change over time. These are not absolute truths, so there's nothing wrong if you disagree or have a different impression than mine.

Before listening to the album, I admit to having read some comments from people saying "it's top 5" or "American Idiot pt.2," and that raised my expectations quite a bit. Honestly, I find it really hard to put it so high, and I don't think this would be an album sufficient to make a breakthrough for an emerging band in the pop-punk rock scene. It is evident that there has been a great effort on the part of the band, especially from Billie, who opened up a lot, but I think many were clouded by the desire to hear something from Green Day that was even vaguely better than their last work, "Father of All...".

Beyond personal tastes, it's a solid album, catchy, with excellent production. Inside this album, there are some beautiful songs and numerous guitar, bass, and drum solos that haven't been heard for a long time. Not surprisingly, out of 15 songs, at least 9 I found more than ok, with "Bobby Sox" as my absolute favorite. The real problem I had with this album is that it never takes a real musical direction, or rather, in my opinion, it could do so even by removing some intermediate tracks (like "Corvette Summer") that confused me a bit. 

I also think this album lacks a real hit; the songs that will probably have the most success are "Dilemma" and "Bobby Sox", but I don't think they'll make stratospheric numbers. It's also true that there is no song that makes you particularly turn up your nose or feel the need to skip, which is not taken for granted. Also, I had a constant déjà vu throughout the entire album; I kept thinking "I've heard this piece somewhere before," but considering that it's their 14th album, it's understandable.

There has certainly been an evolution in lyrics where references to modern society such as TikTok or Uber are made, absent in previous albums, and a songwriting much more direct and accessible to every type of listener, going straight to the point without too much wordplay. I appreciate this choice a lot because it is right and legitimate that the band can evolve and vary the way they write their songs, but in my opinion, most of the lyrics have turned out to be too simple to the point of being banal, with some exceptions here and there.

With that being said, I kind of enjoyed listening to this record, but I believe there is little hope that at least one of these songs could end up in my Spotify Wrapped 2024.