The Offspring deliver nostalgic appeal and drop a solid album after a five year wait

The Offspring have been fairly consistent in their rise from punk rock underground venues to the front runners of the punk revival of the 90′s. In all its shining glory, The Offspring are undoubtedly amongst the elites in punk rock, and it was 2003′s Splinter and arguably 2000′s Conspiracy of One which made us doubt these claims.

Rise and Fall, rage and Grace, first off, is not a great album. Sure with punk anthems like “Half-Truism” and lead single “Hammerhead,” The Offspring can prove that hook-infested riffs and catchy chorus’s are their strong suit.

But none of these songs, not a single one, can hold a candle to the opus’s FLOODING Ixnay on the Hombre or Smash, their 90′s wonder albums that spawned the genre into mainstream attention over 10 years ago.

And this is a common problem amongst bands from the 90′s refocusing and delivering material and a technologically overwhelmed post-modern era. When people grow up listening to an artist, it is those songs that become the staples of a bands career, and it is THOSE songs that will always remain favorites.

Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace simply cannot compete with staple friendly “Come Out and Play,” “Self Esteem,” “Gone Away,” “The Kids Aren’t Alright,” “Bad Habit” and I can go on and on.

Now that is not to say the Rise and Fall is poor. Half-Truism opens strong with a song reminiscent of their 90′s haydey, and “Takes Me Nowhere” is eerily representative of this era as well.

But it is ballads like “Kristy, Are You Doing OK” and “Fix You” that make this album stand out from their previous releases. The strongest track on the album, “A Lot Like Me” is a powerful, borderline epic, anthem that delivers a crushing transition from a soft beginning to a chant-worthy chorus- reigning the track the highlight of the record.

The overall problem with the album is that it is VERy short, like most releases by the band. But that hurts this album more so than previously, as the album is painstakingly inconsistent. For every track worth mentioning, another drags it down with either a snoozefest of a song (Trust in You) or a cheesy ballad in Kristy…

The album flows poorly, and this may be the biggest offense for the record as a whole, as a strong track is brought down by a poor track, and the last three songs of the album are heinous filler.

The truth is, The Offspring are probably my favorite band of all time. I am a sucker for nostalgia, as their superior tracks lead me to a time of innocence and ignorance, a time where “bad Habit” got the blood throwing unlike any other- where Smashing Pumpkins were still cool and Green Day didn’t release American Idiot, (or for that matter 21st Century Breakdown.)

But all Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace, makes me want to do is put in their pre-2000 albums, and it is less because I grew up listening to them and more because the newer tracks are simply weaker copycats of a former glory.

Rise and Fall… is good for a listen, but the songs grow weaker and even powerhouse single “You’re Gonna Go Far Kid” lacks the emotional tug and punk fury of the past.

Not quite a fall, but definitely not grace, here The Offspring denies longevity and proves just a little bit more staleness in sound and ideas.

3/5

-ryanM-

Track Listing:

1. “Half-Truism”
2. “Trust in You”
3. “You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid”
4. “Hammerhead”
5. “A Lot Like Me”
6. “Takes Me Nowhere”
7. “Kristy, Are You Doing Okay?”
8. “Nothingtown”
9. “Stuff Is Messed Up”
10. “Fix You”
11. “Let’s Hear It for Rock Bottom”
12. “Rise and Fall”

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