Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace: C
Stuff - the Iraq war, the media, America, etc. - is indeed messed up, as the Offspring suggests. But so is this album. Sure it’s witty, angry and dynamic compared to Good Charlotte, but that’s the problem. Pop-punk’s bar is so pathetically depressed any remotely anti-authoritarian rant gets the kids revved up like a half-off Hot Topic sale. No one expected this to rival “London Calling” or even “Enema of the State,” but fans deserve at least a few good jokes paired with a few great hooks. Download: “Nothingtown.”
