Green Day - American Idiot

Green Day release 'American Idiot', their first new studio album in four years, on September 20th on Reprise. We have copies of Green Day's back catalogue (including Dookie, Shennanigans, Warning, Nimrod, International Superhits, and Insomniac). To be in with a chance of winning click here

Produced by Rob Cavallo, 'American Idiot' is not only Green Day's most ambitious album to date, but also perhaps one of the most audacious efforts in the history of punk. Centred around two five-part, nine minute epics ('Jesus Of Suburbia' and 'Homecoming'), 'American Idiot' is an expansive and intimately crafted concept album, detailing the alienation and disillusionment of the American citizen under Bush's post-War On Terror administration. Obviously there's a whole lot more to the concept, but hey, you're the reviewer...

'Jesus Of Suburbia' sees Green Day crossing genres at will to convey their story, mixing stomping melodic punk with elements of classic American rock, sun-kissed harmonies, a hint of psychedelia and Billie Joe singing plaintively over a lone acoustic. Elsewhere, Green Day's talent for reflective, melancholy sounds is pushed to the forefront with 'Boulevard Of Broken Dreams' which finds them at their evocative best, and with 'Are We The Waiting', possibly the most beautiful song ever to feature an old-school terrace chant. But it's with 'When September Ends' that Green Day fully realise their strength at combining the tender with the powerful.

Ultimately, though, for all the narrative and reflection, 'American Idiot' remains not only the definitive Green Day album but also a Green Day album in the finest of traditions. The title-track (out as a single on September 13th), rages with the aggression and infectiousness that typifies the best of the band's prior work whilst a host of other tracks - including the breakneck punk of 'St. Jimmy' and the power-pop of 'Extraordinary Girl' - remind us exactly why Green Day were so damn good in the first place.

"Be all you can be" is one of the American army's greatest slogans. Green Day may not agree with the sentiments, but by combining their greatest abilities with an urge to push boundaries and to experiment, it's a slogan that has impacted on their consciousness all the same.

Green Day headlined Reading and Leeds Festivals.