Aging Green Day Releases ‘¡Uno!’

By NANCY BELLE

“¡Uno!”, “¡Dos!” and “¡Tré!” are three albums Green Day will release in a span of 16 weeks. “¡Uno!”, the first album in the trio and their ninth studio album in the past 22 years, was released Monday, Sep. 24.
If you are not familiar with Green Day’s work prior to their politically charged 2004 hit, “American Idiot,” then you may be in for a surprise as they return to their old form, reminiscent of some of their albums from the ‘90s, like “Dookie” and “Nimrod.”
Some may worry about their album quality after the band made headlines recently because of lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong’s profanity-laden outburst at the iHeartRadio Festival in Las Vegas and his subsequent admittance into a rehab program.
Despite these issues within the band, the album is among some of Green Day’s best work.
Opening with “Nuclear Family,” the most politically charged piece on the album, and ending with “Oh Love,” the album’s first single, “¡Uno!” is 42 minutes of brilliant pop-punk music.
The album is a mix of their old styles, yet it manages to sound new and brilliant. For example their new song, “Rusty James,” is reminiscent of much of their older music, like “Who Wrote Holden Caulfield?” from their 1992 release, “Kerplunk,” and “Scattered” from “Nimrod.”
“Let Yourself Go,” a new second single from “¡Uno!”, is a fast song that encourages someone unknown to “shut your mouth ’cause you’re talking too much” and “let yourself go.”
Green Day shows off their flexibility and love of experimentation on “Kill The DJ,” a catchy tune that has a bit of a dance-rock feel. It begs someone to  “kill the DJ” for some unknown reason.
Their ability to create catchy songs continues with “Carpe Diem,” a rebellious song that asks the question, “are we all too young to die?”
Overall, the album shows the band’s versatility and proves that even after 25 years Green Day still has what it takes to make amazing music.
With the great material on “¡Uno!”, fans of Green Day can only hope for continued brilliance over the next four months as the band releases the remainder of their trilogy. “¡Dos!” will be released on Nov. 13 and “¡Tré!” on Jan. 15.