Green Day – Saviors (Album Review)

Posted on January 17, 2024 by Kelsey Trevan

Green Day – Saviors
Released: January 19^th, 2024

Lineup:

Billie Joe Armstrong // Vocals & Guitar
Mike Dirnt // Bass & Backing Vocals
Tre Cool // Drums

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I would be lying if I said I was excited when Green Day announced that they were releasing a new album this year, the disappointment of their last record (which I gave a pitiful 4.5/10 when I reviewed it) meant I went into this with scepticism. I grew up with Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool being the soundtrack to my angsty teen years, so my mind was open but my apprehension was real.

‘The American Dream is Killing Me’ is the opening track of Saviors, and I noticed something familiar about it straight away. The guitar riff is very similar to the riff that carries ‘Jesus Of Suburbia’, albeit a little faster. It’s a good opener for an album though, and sounded a lot more like the Green Day I knew, than the Green Day I met on Father Of All…. My favourite song title on the record is track two, ‘Look Ma No Brains’ and it’s on the shorter side of songs with a run time of just over 2 minutes. ‘Don’t know much about history, coz I never learned how to read’ are the opening lyrics and if that doesn’t set the tone for what the next 2 minutes are going to be, I don’t know what would. It’s short and sweet and the drums are really solid and punchy throughout. ‘Bobby Sox’ follows and it’s got a bit more of a grungy, chill vibe to it than the preceding tracks. It’s also the first appearance of Billie Joe’s old school vocals that aren’t as polished as they are now. We’re treated to ‘One Eyed Bastard’ next, and the chorus is a repeated gang chant of ‘Bada bing bada bing bada bing bada boom.’ The opening riff actually reminds me a little bit of ‘So What’ by Pink, but if she was a touch rockier. It’s gonna be a fun one to rock out to at live shows.

‘Dilemma’ is the first one that I didn’t immediately get into. It took until the second verse after the chorus before I got properly into the song, but I think that has a lot to do with personal preference and taste more than anything else. It’s not a great song, but it’s not a bad song either, just not necessarily my jam. Felt a little too much like a teen romcom soundtrack that plays when the two main characters are pretending not to like each other. ‘Dilemma’ is followed by ‘1981’ and the chorus had me giggling the whole way through, ‘She’s gonna bang her head like 1981’ is the repeated line here and if you’re familiar with the bands that were popular in ’81 (‘Centrefold’ by The J. Geils Band anyone?), it’s an incredibly appropriate moniker to carry out.

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‘Goodnight Adeline’ reminded me of ’21 Guns’, but a little faster and also better. It’s sort of the mid-point of Saviors and is the first ballad-esque offering on the record; with a great guitar solo and a reminder of just how high Billie Joe can sing sometimes. With a title like ‘Coma City’, I was expecting a bit of a snoozefest but boy was I wrong. It’s got a great section buried in the second half that will work as a great call-and-response section at a live show, and it’s a song that makes you want to get up and dance. I’m also a total sucker for harmonies and Billie Joe and Mike just sound so good together in this. Musically, it’s cohesive as shit.

Would it really be a punk rock album without a song about a car? We get that here with ‘Corvette Summer’. Well, it’s less of a song about a car, and more about being able to get around because you have a car. It’s another that would fit in a romcom, but one with angsty overtones made in the late nineties like 10 Things I Hate About You. It’s very bass-driven as well, and Mike really shines throughout. The second track on Saviors featuring a girl’s name is ‘Suzie Chapstick’, and it plays out very much like an ode to an ex that you regret leaving, or maybe a girl that was the one who got away. I’ve missed hearing a Green Day song that starts with the vocals before anything else, and with ‘Strange Days Are Here to Stay’ my hopes were answered. It feels a little bit like ‘Basket Case’, but very much written to fit the new era of Green Day and the vibe of this record. The pacing musically is a little off kilter, but when it’s done on purpose like it is here it doesn’t necessarily feel as weird as it could.

‘Living in the 20’s’ feels a lot more like angsty, angry Green Day of days gone by, and I love that we’re being treated to what could almost be classed as ‘classic Green Day’, including a dirty little guitar solo and a great headbanging riff throughout that’ll make you wanna swear along with Billie Joe.

With a title like ‘Father to a Son’, I wasn’t surprised when the ballad of the record finally made it’s appearance. Not only does it have an acoustic guitar, but a string section and some piano. I shed a tiny tear listening to this one, which is exactly what I want from a Green Day ballad. Hopefully it moves other people as much as it moved me, and isn’t a song that’s slept on because of how far into the album it sits. Second to last is ‘Saviors’ which helped to shake the remaining tears out of my eyes from the previous track. Mostly because I was in shock that it wasn’t a great song. It’s another not-great but not-awful offering on this record, and unfortunately, it brings down the overall vibe of Saviors for me. As for the closer ‘Fancy Sauce’, earlier I mentioned that ‘Strange Days Are Here To Stay’ reminded me of ‘Basket Case’, and then this song talks about getting sent to the loony bin. Coincidence? Who knows. Maybe ‘Fancy Sauce’ acts a little like a full circle moment, and is a callback to the good old days of Green Day. This band have always been good at mixing taboo or melancholy topics with upbeat music and lyrics, and this is a seriously fun track. I wish it was placed higher on the tracklisting of the album, but it’s also a great one to end on. ‘We all die young some day’ is a prominent lyric in the chorus, and I think there are a lot of people who are going to relate to that feeling.

Saviors is a vast improvement on the disaster that was Father Of All… and it very much feels like Green Day are back and reclaiming their former glory. It’s a well-rounded album with a little bit of old school, a little bit of new school, and just the right amount of attitude we’ve come to expect from Billie Joe, Mike and Tre. If it had some heavier riffs it would have been perfect, but I don’t think Green Day are going anywhere anytime soon, so maybe the next album will be a real throwback to old school, pre-mainstream days.