05/01/04

OFFSPRING / SPLINTER

This was a Christmas present and I must admit I wasn’t too sure about it at first as I don’t like the first single "Hit It" but as it turned out that was the weakest track on the album.

The band have experimented a bit more on the one and apart from my previous comment on "Hit It", it works very well, you have the straight edged punk of "The Noose", "Long Way Home" and "Da Hui", superb mid paced songs like "Race Against Myself"," Never Gonna Find Me" and "Lightning Rod" and the pop Punk of "(Cant Get My) Head Around You" and "Spare Me The Details".

The latter is particularly good as it’s a simple 3 chord wonder, with very catchy sing a long lyrics and a hook that could have caught Moby Dick with ease and if this isn’t a big hit sometime this year my name isn’t Justin Case.

The other track could be massive is a real departure for Noodles and the guys, the Ska Punk of "Worst Hang Over Ever", if you cross The Offspring with Madness you get an idea of what it sounds like. This is such a great song and would sound brilliant coming out of a car stereo in the summertime. I do admit to not being too keen on Ska Punk but when it is done with such style and humour its impossible not to get caught up in the exuberance. Initial copies of this came with a free DVD, nice but not essential if you don’t have it.

TOTAL PLAYING TIME = 32 mins + 12 TRACKS + CD ROM TRACK