When grunge and the alternative movement exploded back in the early to mid-90s, it was refreshing to hear what was essentially a brat-pack punk band incorporate sturdy pop harmonies into their outfit. They were melodic about their discontent, something that The Ramones perfected and solidified into a movement all on its own. With the melancholic rebellion incinerated into our skulls with Nirvana, it was nice to hear three bar chords recycled with upbeat precision which resulted in radio-friendly songs about masturbation and suburban cynicism. Green Day wasn't meant to necessarily be pertinent, and it's surprising to any music devotee that they've managed to maintain longevity during the course of boy bands and rap metal.

But here they are in 2005, continuing to enthrall on more of a political level rather than a musical one. They do happen to walk the fine line between derivativeness and innovation, clearly manifested in “Brain Stew” which sounded far too much like “25 or 6 to 4” by Chicago. American Idiot is indeed touted as a conceptual album spliced into a rock opera, but at times, and this is actually nothing new, they recycle the same key and chord structures to fit the mold of the “concept” record in which songs bleed into the next without flinching. It's disappointing that they don't venture out beyond playing variations of A major, for a lot of the songs “sound” the same, even as their socially-charged lyrical landscapes are amongst the best they've ever done in the career. “City of the dead/At the end of another lost highway /Signs misleading to nowhere/City of the damned/Lost children with dirty faces today/No one really seems to care” is indicative of the activist material presented here. It's more of a sociological exploration rather than taking the opportunity to bitch about chicks.