 americana
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 The Offspring Once the Offspring scored a multiplatinum hit with 1994's Smash — a nifty combination of Black Flag punk and KISS - style hard rock that became one of the biggest-selling independent records of all time on the strength of the single "Come Out and Play" — it was proclaimed the Next Great Hope of modern rock, a band that knew how to infuse accessible, classic rock and roll with the gnashing energy of youth and punk. Though the claim now seems a bit premature, there was a solid foundation for it. After all, the alternative rock community had just lost Kurt Cobain, the last Great Hope, and it was searching for successors who shared his knack for making three-minute pop songs aggressive and muscular. Unfortunately, legal problems with its former record label (Epitaph) prevented the Offspring from following up Smash in a timely manner. When it finally did, with 1997's Ixnay on the Hombre, it was too late; too much had happened in the interim and the band seemed vaguely and immediately outdated, even out of step. But the Offspring is on the verge of sweet redemption with the zesty Americana, its best work since Smash's fine predecessor, Self-Esteem. Though it is not a consistently terrific album, the Offspring still has in it. Americana crackles with great riffs, sing-along hooks, and literate, insightful lyrics. Songs like "Staring at the Sun" and "Have You Ever" show the kind of rocking imagination and bristling energy of the best punk rock. "End of the Line" gallops with a potent rhythm guitar line, as do the crunching "No Brakes" and the Sabbath- esque title track. And though Dexter Holland's juiced-up voice grows tiresome on novelties like a cover of Morris Albert's "Feelings" and the half-time ska of "Why Don't You Get a Job?," and Noodles' blues-based guitar playing is limited in scope, their combined energy and the ensemble's appealing musical bluster more than make up for minor shortcomings. By Bob Gulla, from Wall Of Sound |
