Dookie

Listening to a classic album every day for the first week of 2023: Day 2

While I can see why this is one of the classics of pop punk, I can also see why it doesn't have the wider cultural impact that something like American Idiot has, and I don't think that's a bad thing. Dookie finds the perfect balance between writing that feels angsty and cathartic, while usually not feeling like it's outright disrespecting its audience, and having some amazing instrumentation to boot. The best way I can describe this album is phrenetic, the explosion of sound and style afforded from people who are having the time of their lives playing their instruments. The drumming is consistently fast and interesting, the basslines manage to feel like they actually have life to them without feeling like they're getting in the way, and the guitars give just enough to give some memorable riffs without needing to play much more than the basics, something that some more modern pop punk artists could definitely learn from. The only thing that I feel holds parts of this album back are the vocals, and that's only on a few songs.

I don't think much needs to be said about the three big songs on the album, Welcome to Paradise, Basket Case and When I Come Around, they're classics for a reason. Most of the other songs, while nowhere need as memorable, absolutely deserve their time on the album, with decent vocal performances backed by absolutely ripping pop punk instrumentals. They might not have the sheer memorability as the biggest songs have, but they are still plenty great. The only letdowns on the main tracklist are Chump, where the vocals feel buried in the instrumentation, but is saved by a great breakdown in the second half of the track, and Pulling Teeth, where they try to experiment with the vocals and it comes across a lot more annoying than it actually is.

F.O.D. was probably the biggest surprise on the album, it's honestly a little too quiet at the start, but it ends up in a great crescendo that feels perfect as a closing track to the album. Unfortunately, in the age of streaming, the Hidden Track, All By Myself, has now taken the place of the closing track, and all I can say is this is one of the worst things I have ever heard. I initially thought maybe it was taking a jab at Weezer, with that whiny, loner vibe, until I realised this album released in the same year as 1994, and even that explanation for its existence made no sense anymore. If this is meant to be funny, it's not working.

The album can definitely feel a bit one note at times, but I don't think that's a bad thing. Green Day do a very specific sound very, very well, with enough variation to constantly feel fresh.