Offspring - Americana
Grade: B+
By Jess Redmon
The Offspring mix novelty pop songs with their usual brilliance on their latest
accomplishment, Americana. The first single, "Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)" sets the
tone for an album that mixes the vintage post-punk of their previous efforts with a sly wit
that only a band as smart as the Offspring can pull off. In songs such as "Pretty Fly (For
A White Guy)" and "Why Don't You Get A Job," the Offspring create novelty songs that
you just can't help to love. On the other end of the spectrum, "The Kids Aren't Alright"
and "Have You Ever" enrapture post-punk rage with their blistering blend of raging
guitars and torrid noise. Americana is a great mix of smart pop songs and punk
anthems, a powerful and diverse album that will stand up for years, even in its
occasional novelty. Althought not a huge musical breakthrough for the band, their songs
keep getting smarter and they continue to kick out the classic anthems.
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