ARTIST: Green Day
ALBUM: ¡Tré!
LABEL: Reprise Records
RELEASE DATE: December 7, 2012
The Power of Tre
Written by Silas Valentino
Green Day are more resilient than a barbeque stain on your favorite plain white shirt. They blew up our MTV in 1994 with the power punk zenith, Dookie, reinserted politics back into Rock ‘n’ Roll through 2004’s American Idiot and today they have hit us with a one-two-three left hook. The bang that KO’d our gut is the last installment of their recent album trilogy. ¡Tré! pauses only twice to catch its breath leaving the rest of the tracks sounding as if singer Billie Joel Armstrong dipped into his name sharer Lance’s steroid stash and literally could not stop writing powerful rock songs. ¡Tré! is fast, aggressive and further blurs the notion that Rock requires an age limit.
Green Day’s track record resembles a blueprint to a Six Flag’s attraction to Space. They started with a modest rise leading to a blast-off that hit new levels in the musical stratosphere, dipped down for the following years only to burst back with two back-to-back rock operas. Their recent project proves that their fiery momentum is still cracking embers. Each installment of the trilogy is meant to evoke a different aura all while staying in the realm of gritty garage/punk rock. Armstrong had a plan for each record and he describes them as, “the first one is power pop. The second is more garage-y, Nuggets-type rock. And the third is supposed to be epic. With the first album you’re getting in the mood to party. On the second one, you’re at the party. And the third album you’re cleaning up the mess.” (http://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/premiere-green-days-power-pop-new-single-oh-love-20120716) Even though the after party mess is generally a chore spent battling moans and groans while working the mop, ¡Tré!’s good time party feel helps get the gum out of the carpet. “8 Avenue Serenade” is Green Day finding the perfect Venn diagram between their past influences of punk and power pop. The track begins with a head-bob-inspiring riff, heads off into an “ooh ooh ooh oh” hook and ends with a clash of the titans between Armstrong, bassist Mike Dirnt and drummer/album title maestro Tré Cool. It’s quick, (2:37) short, and anything but sweet. Top banger “99 Revolutions’” comparison to Cheap Trick’s classic “Surrender” is abounded, but it doesn’t come off as a stale copy, rather as an established band paying homage to its DNA. Album opener “Brutal Love” is one of the only songs that doesn’t move you aggressively, but more in the closing time at the bar feeling. Green Day’s choosing of this unconventional track for its album opener reminds us that they’re not afraid to continue being their avant-Punk-garde selves.
During Green Day’s set last September at The iHeartRadio Festival, singer Armstrong abruptly ended “Basket Case” because the show’s promoters were flashing the “one minute left” sign. Though it was both childish and metal, Armstrong ranted about being “around since 1980-fucking-8” and how he was no Justin Bieber. This act of defiance led to Armstrong checking into rehab thus postponing the band’s tour, but it solidified Green Day as the band for outspoken Rock ‘n’ Roll. Their music still carries the chops and their bravado will forever remain untouched.