So which set of fans does '¡Uno!' apply to? Where Muse have continued to develop their sound into the realms of excess, Green Day have gone back to their punk roots, which should appeal to older fans. Perhaps having their music used in a musical has reminded the band of what made them popular in the first place.
But is it enough? Where newer fans may prefer their more recent hits such as American Idiot or power ballad Boulevard of Broken Dreams, older fans will simply reminisce on the band's beginnings. The songs on '¡Uno!' simply can't live up to the band's greatest from either period.
The song titles sum up the band in their current state:
Let Yourself Go
Kill The DJ
Rusty James
Past Our Best
OK, that last one I made up. However, although their music might sound fresh in comparison to the DJ-centric electro currently in the charts, the band are relying too much on past success to carry the album rather than providing a decent set of songs. Nothing on '¡Uno!' can match the classic sing-along of Basket Case, the emotive power of Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) or the punk message of American Idiot. Instead, we have a set of songs with little variation and lacking the hooks of their best tracks.
2/5
Gizzle's Choice:
* Nuclear Family
* Oh Love
Listen: '¡Uno!' is released on September 24th (with a stream currently on the NME website). '¡Dos!' and '¡Tré!' will follow on November 12th and January 14th respectively.
Watch: Green Day will tour the UK next summer.