GREEN DAY
¡Tré!
[Warner Bros.]
After diving into political and social commentary with concept albums in 2004 and 2009, Green Day lightened the mood in 2012 with a trilogy of less weighty records, released a few months apart. ¡Tré! wraps the triptych in characteristic fashion: There are no grand philosophical statements or particular points of view, just punchy pop songs that echo elements of the band’s career to now. “Missing You,” “Amanda” and “Sex, Drugs & Violence” are upbeat, punky tunes full of buoyant guitar, while “Walk Away” and “X-Kid” are stadium-sized rockers that show Green Day isn’t abandoning the anthemic turn the band took on American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown. The group has described ¡Tré!as the reflective entry in the trilogy, which accounts for “Brutal Love,” the horn-soaked throwback weeper that opens the album, and the lovingly exasperated acoustic number “Drama Queen.” Even at its most pensive though, Green Day never lacks for energy, and these songs are plenty generous with hooks. –Eric R. Danton
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