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Well over a decade ago, when The Offspring first hit national airwaves with “Come Out and Play,” hard-core punk fans (one of whom I was dating at the time) scoffed. Clearly, they reasoned, if these guys were playing on mainstream radio stations, they’d somehow sold out—which, of course, was completely contrary to everything that punksters believed in. So, despite (and, actually, due to) the overwhelming success of Smash, it was considered uncool to actually like The Offspring. But I did anyway.
Now, with their eighth album, Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace, the California quartet once again reminds me why I did.
Thanks to Dexter Holland’s frantic (and often even shrieking) lead vocals, the harmonious backing vocals, and the driving, lightning-quick beats that back him up, Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace is a wildly infectious album. I’ll admit, though, that it took a couple of spins before it fully grew on me. I liked the album from the first time I popped it into my CD player. The sounds were great—and so were those frenzied punk beats. But, at first, nothing really grabbed me. Then I listened to it again…and again. And, before long, I couldn’t get it out of my head. I’d lie awake at night with the expletive-laced lyrics from the subtly-titled “Stuff is Messed Up” running through my head. I’d recklessly maneuver my way through city traffic while shrieking along with “Half-Truism,” the album’s first track (“If we don’t make it alive / It’s a hell of a good day to die”). I was hooked.
While most of the tracks are pretty fast-and-furious, though, the tempos do slow down a bit for a couple of songs (“Kristy, Are You Doing Okay?” and “Fix You”)—and that’s when it becomes clear that The Offspring isn’t just a one-note punk band. Through those tracks, they show more heart than you’d expect. And whether they’re you’re style or not, you can’t help but appreciate the band’s talent—and versatility.
At the same time, though, the rest of the album is far from fluffy. Some of the tracks are not-so-subtly political—but, fortunately, they kindly refrain from smacking their listeners over the head with an in-your-face message (unlike Flobots, for instance). Though you’ll find yourself singing along and actually paying attention to the thoughtful lyrics, the message isn’t the only thing you’ll notice. Instead, you’ll notice that the message is actually backed up by some pretty good music. And that makes for a pretty solid album.
So no matter what my old-school punkster friends may have told me years ago, I still like The Offspring. If you’re a fan of music that makes you drive erratically (and much too fast), give Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace a listen (or two), and you might just have to admit that you like them, too.
