Critic's evaluation
It took only a year for The Offspring to get back in the studio for new recordings after the official announcement of Days Go By. However, for the release of what would become the group's 10th studio album, it took six years of back and forth to California studio for Let The Bad Times Roll to finally get off the ground.
With a sonorous unison, the album has its awakening. With no winding or long introduction, the song quickly moves to the first verse. In it, Dexter Holland's characteristic voice soon makes itself present in the melody still under construction with impacting phrases like "Like a shot without a warning, lies a life that's left behind". This is Not Utopia finally sheds light on its critical and reflective character with a powerful pre-recording, based on a punk rock metric with distorted guitars, speed, rhythmic grooves, and an energetic cadence. Blind nationalism, fake news, the unmasking of politics, lack of humanity, and the wait for a change that is long in coming are the lyrical theme of the track. The song also has a catchy chorus that invites the listener to sing along with the singer strong and questioning phrases such as "The roots of America" and "You don't matter anymore" in a clear analysis of the political plans that are based on the purity of society while forgetting to pay attention to the needs of the population. The search for a non-existent root causes the people to be forgotten.
Pete Parada pulls out the introduction to the next track with lonely, burning blows on the box. Interestingly enough, the title track has something of a novelty to it. After all, it already begins with something that can be called a chorus, because phrases accompanied by an acoustic rhythmic base, catchy and even immersed in a Latin atmosphere are already present in the first verse. In this structure, then, the pre-chorus is responsible for taking the listener back to the beginning of the song, that is, the chorus. But unlike the chorus itself, the pre-chorus is based on a rhythmic blend of pop rock and pop punk so attractive and seductive that this part of the song could easily be considered a second chorus. However, behind this seductively rhythmic melody lies a critical lyricism just as was done in the previous song. Here in the title track, the listener is confronted with phrases like "But don't be thinking we're crazy when you see all the hell that we're raising" and "Don't be thinking we're crazy, cause the truth is what we're erasing". But more than that. In the lyrical verse "Hey Lincoln, how does your grave roll?", Holland makes a tragicomic joke by questioning how the former US president's grave is shaken and stirred from all that is happening in the country. Musically, too, the song is joined by Jason 'Blackball' McLean, who joins in on backing vocals, lending an amplified sense of audience appeal.
In Behind Your Walls, Noodles' guitar already appears in an extremely seductive riff, but which already indicates a reflective and even melancholic melody. The melody gains body and seriousness when Todd Morse's present bass line integrates the sound. However, this same melody that seemed to enter a crescendo comes to a standstill and becomes minimalist. Only the base guitar accompanying the vocal cadence in a unison rhythm. And it is the lyrical aspect, more strictly the skeleton of the lyrics themselves, that deserves extra attention. After all, it was not made based on the perfect rhyme, the most used in compositions of all genres, but from the toante rhyme, one in which only the vowels provide the notion of rhyme. In the melodic and structural field of the song as a whole, there is a repetition of the technique used in the title track. But there is a difference. The first verse is also the refrain of the song, but in the introduction it is in a different melody from the one in which it is pronounced in the second stanza. In it, the sung phrases are accompanied by a livelier instrumental and a backing vocal that repeats words, giving a dramatic air to the harmony. Apart from the title track, Behind Your Walls is arguably another important single from Let The Bat Times Roll.
With a melody similar to the one employed by the Ramones in I Wanna Be Sedated, Army of One introduces itself to the public. Presenting in its harmony references to the sound of Spanish music, the track has a slightly accelerated cadence and, curiously, a bridge whose rhythm is more attractive than that of the chorus itself. In addition, it is also in the bridge where the lyrics, sung in a faster cadence, have more phrases of impact and encouragement.
The introduction is, again, in charge of Parada. With fast and choppy grooves, the drums suggest an energetic, exciting, and even stimulating music. The entrance of the guitar increases this perception, as its notes are distorted and in happier tones. When the first verse finally makes itself present, the sonority is complete and full-bodied thanks to the groovy bass lines. So, that prediction of a catchy song comes true. But, there is a caveat. Melodically, Breaking These Bones is indeed melodic, energetic and harmonic, but lyrically, it brings a strong and current analysis. Filled with metaphors, Holland's chanted phrases lay bare the reality of grief experienced by thousands during the pandemic. Never before have tears taken on such a significant weight. In any case, the union of reflection with melody makes this track another heavy single from the album.
A full groove between drums and bass give the first colors. With the typical cadence and melody of The Offspring's signature songs, Coming For You is a track that, were it not for the critical lyricism, would be just another pop punk track in the group's catalog. However, by exposing the social fatigue in the face of the pandemic and the reality it has brought, the lyricism turns the song into a pop punk seasoned with new ingredients. To close the melodic harmonic scope of the composition, the structure also counts with a clean guitar solo without distortion that gives a fresh touch to the instrumental conjuncture.
The groovy and lonely bass lines with a funk theme gives way to a festive melody, joyful and watered on wind instruments. Here, besides the funk present in the rhythmic base, the instrumental offers a mixture of pop punk and blues. We Never Have Sex Anymore offers a theatrical theme which, with the addition of lyricism, provides a tragicomic atmosphere superior to that instituted in the title track. Groovy and lonely bass lines with a funk theme give way to a festive, joyful melody watered in wind instruments. In it, besides the funk present in the rhythmic base, the instrumental offers a mix of pop punk and blues. We Never Have Sex Anymore offers a theatrical theme which, with the addition of lyricism, provides a tragicomic atmosphere superior to that instituted in the title track. Addressing the increase in peer-to-peer coexistence, one of the changes caused by the pandemic, the lyrics function as a first-person vent of the main character in this story. Complaining, mainly, about the lack of sex, this same character wonders if, with the increased coexistence, the love between him and his partner is over. In the instrumental realm, the track has the most complex composition. After all, Jason Powell and Eric Marbauch employed, respectively, clarinet and saxophone lines, and trombone that delivered even jazz airs to the melody. With Phil Jordan's trumpet mastering solo, the song has an uplifting crescendo that also features more active piano participation. If one could name it that way, We Never Have Sex Anymore would be the 'instrumental single' from Let The Bad Times Roll. In any case, the track has great potential as a b-side single.
Next up is a new interpretation of one of the iconic fragments of In the Hall of Mountain King, a classic work by Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg. Starting with just the guitar on a bass riff, The Offspring's take on the song eventually gets the chimbala for the tempo count, and then the bass. Progressively, In The Hall Of The Montain King picks up speed and, consequently, gains a punk edge thanks to the drum lines.
Accelerated, harsh, punk. With lyricism mixing despair at the uncertain end of the pandemic and the apparent increase in cases of people on drugs in the US, the song serves almost as a self-help message about the reality of those who abuse illicit substances. But just as Chorão did in his various Charlie Brown Jr. lyrics, Holland uses a language of equals, without boasting or belittling. It is an experienced man talking to a child about the reality of drug use. This is just the tip of the iceberg of The Opioid Diaries' lyrics. Much more can be seen between the lines.
Desperate. Swift with no chance for a breath. Hassan Chop is a song in which Holland addresses guerrilla counterattack, the propagation of a blind faith that God will offer encouragement to those who give their lives in his name. In some ways, the song is an accurate portrayal of the reality of Middle Eastern terrorists and suicide bombers.
A drastic pause in acceleration. Hearts are slow to slow down and assume a slower rhythm. Breathing is slow to regain control. On Let The Bad Times Roll, The Offspring offer a new take on Gone Away, a 1997 single taken from Ixnay on the Hombre, the group's fourth studio album. On it, there are no drums, guitar, or even bass. The song is mostly minimalist, based only on voice and piano metrics, here printed by Alan Chang. However, the sense of drama increases with the insertion of violin notes by sound designer Dave Pierce.
Lullaby. As the name suggests, the record's Lullaby is a lullaby, but a remixed lullaby. After all, the lyrics are based on the chorus of the title track performed at an extremely slow speed. Along with the voice, a guitar in sad, repetitive and transcendental notes is present in the melody of this song that has its end executed like a breeze, a sudden gust of wind.
Although it sounds festive and braggadocio, Let The Bad Times Roll is a critical, reflective, and analytical album. It can even be considered the brother of Days Go By, its predecessor. After all, both make analyses of a social moment or detail. While the former mostly evaluates the relationship with time and old age, the latter is more urgent, current.
With all lyrics composed solely and exclusively by Dexter Holland, The Offspring's 10th studio album has a mature character. But a maturity that bears little resemblance to that presented on The Battle at Garden's Gate, the recently released second studio album by Greta Van Fleet.
On the other hand, Let The Bad Times Roll joins the ranks of releases that address current issues other than just pandemic. In addition to Greta Van Fleet's album, this group is made up of World Decay 19 by Sacrifix and In Another World by Cheap Trick.
And as an important detail in the sum of this immersion in the present time, The Offspring portrayed in their cover art nothing less than the relationship with death. For this, the group drew on the way the Mexican population deals with events such as funerals and farewells. After all, the album cover features a woman dressed in typical Mexican costumes and with make-up also typical of the festivity known as Día de los Muertos.
Of course, despite portraying more serious themes, the album maintained, thanks to Bob Rock's production and mixing, the signature sound so characteristic of The Offspring. Together with the group since 2008, when he took over the production of the album Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace, Rock has maintained the pop punk essence that established the Californian band.
Besides pop punk, Let The Bad Times Roll is punk rock and blues. Curiously, Rock repeated in this album the same strategy made in Days Go By, after all, among its tracks there is a song melodically better structured and full of unprecedented elements in the sound aesthetics of the album. We Never Have Sex Anymore is as daring and different as was OC Guns.
Not only the pandemic and the consequent writing of more serious lyrics shaped the reality of Let The Bad Times Roll. There was also the change of record label, with the group leaving Columbia Records and affiliating with Concord Records. And something more structural also happened.
Greg K., the original bass player of The Offspring left the band and was replaced by Todd Morse. Despite having joined the group's lineup at such a delicate time, Morse harmonically immersed himself into the band's already structured chemistry and added positively. After all, his funk foundations provided an added naughtiness to the jovial atmosphere propagated by the band.
Released on 04/16/2021 via Concord Records, Let The Bad Times Roll presents a partying but thoughtful The Offspring. Never before has pop punk been so conscious and reflective.
