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Album Review: Saviors

New Green Day album leans into social commentary and punk roots
Album Review: Saviors

Wake up! Green Day is back! After 3 years without an album, they finally delivered. The release of Green Day’s new album, Saviors, has saved the punk music genre. 

Since the 1990s, Green Day has been one of the most influential bands in the punk rock scene. At the age of 51, the lead singer, Billie Joe Armstrong, is still kicking it with his wide vocal range and  iconic nasally tone that completes the rebellious mood of the music.

Green Day’s third and hit studio album, “Dookie,” was released almost 30 years ago and the quality of the music has remained 

The first track on the album, “The American Dream Is Killing Me,” is all over the radio. The song focuses on the idea that Americans still do everything in their power to achieve the infamous “American Dream,” yet it seems to become more difficult as the years go by, so people get violent. In the music video, the band is playing on a stage in the middle of a street surrounded by zombies who, as well as the band  themselves, are infected by this “disease” they call The American Dream.

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“Don’t want no huddled masses- TikTok and Taxes,” Armstrong says, referring to how we are so heavily influenced by social media and tax dollars. People are constantly scrolling and allowing themselves to take in false information as if they were zombies infected by the media. There is no need to go out and interact with others or create these “huddled masses” mentioned because they are already being infected with the internet.

Compared to their 1994 hit song “Basket Case,” the sound is more polished, and the meanings are vastly different, as “Basket Case” talks about feeling mentally ill within yourself. 

My personal favorite on the album is “Corvette Summer” as it reminds me of SR-71’s cover of “Let It Whip,” originally performed by Dazz Band. The heavy electric guitar collides perfectly with the subtle cowbell metronome that compels you to bob your head to the beat.

“Susie Chapstick” tackles the topic of admiring someone you used to know on Instagram and scrolling mindlessly through social media. As a 17-year-old who has trouble with scrolling for hours on end, I feel heard and related to.

“You’re a lighthouse in a storm from the day that you were born- a promise, father to a son,” Armstrong said in his tear-jerking song, “Father To A Son.” A song that represents a strong relationship between a father and his son is beautiful and refreshing to hear.

Although the album is catchy, I do wish there was more variety with the songs. Green Day is known for their consistent sound, which is what makes them so reliable. Personally, I like an album that will give me a little bit of everything but overall, this album has something for everyone, whether it be political theorists or a teenager struggling with their adolescence. If you enjoy their previous albums, such as “Dookie and “American Idiot,” you will enjoy this album just as much.

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About the Contributor
Samara Rowe, Reporter
Samara Rowe is a junior, a first-year reporter, and a former photojournalist. Rowe is the business manager for the 23-24 Patriot issues and story writer. She would rather be jelly than peanut butter.

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