ALBUM REVIEW: Supercharged – The Offspring
The last few years has seen several classic punk bands releasing new albums where you think they’d be past their best. However, these bands have surprised us by showing that there’s still some life left in them yet. Blink-182 had One More Time last winter and GREEN DAY released the excellent Saviors earlier this year showing a return to form. This time, it’s the return of THE OFFSPRING with their latest album, Supercharged. Whilst it doesn’t hit the heights of albums such as Smash and Conspiracy Of One, it’s a fun blast of skater punk that shows just why we fell in love with them in the first place.
Opening the album is track Looking Out For #1, it’s a fun punchy effort but you can’t quite help but feel that it’s a re-tread of You’re Gonna Go Far Kid, particularly in the chorus. The tempo and general sound of the song is almost identical. However, for a band a few of its members are approaching sixty, it’s impressive they can still play as fast as their classic tunes. Following on from this is Light It Up, which brings in the infectious energy that comes with Supercharged. It’s fun, raucous and is full of ear worms that will stick with you after listening to it.
The Fall Guy once again relies on the sound of an older song from THE OFFSPRING’s catalogue. Taking inspiration from another classic, The Kids Aren’t Alright, the band definitely plays it safe with this track but that doesn’t detract from its entertainment value. It’s a song that does however, allow frontman Dexter Holland to exercise his ever and iconic voice which still remains strong and instantly recognisable to this day.
Make It All Right, employs a classic pop-punk sound to this album’s roster. It’s a song that gives you a feeling of summer and makes you yearn for a simpler time of hanging around with friends on a warm sunny day. You’d be forgiven for thinking that this song is by BLINK-182 due to its use of duo lyrics, simple guitar riffs and anthemic feel. Ok But This Is The Last Time continues the anthemic style of the record with a huge production sound that makes it feel like it would fit right in being performed in a stadium. It’s got a nice amount of heart to it and doesn’t rely on the inspiration of older tracks by the band. Its chorus is a lot of fun and will make you want to be jumping up and down along with it.
Truth In Fiction follows this with a melodic hardcore track that is hands down the best song on the track. It truly takes us back to those early days with a furious and frenetic style of song that will make you wish you were in a mosh pit, or at least nodding your head with intent, because let’s face it, these days our bodies may not be built for those kinds of pits any more.
Come To Brazil continues the heavy style of playing with an almost heavy metal style riff. The song itself is an ode to all the times fans are begging them to, well, “come to Brazil” on the comments of tour announcements. It’s a fun tongue in cheek track that does feel like it can easily be sung on football terraces and even turns into a full on football chant by the time the song ends as it segues into the classic chant “Ole, Ole, Ole”, which is going to be a great moment at live shows.
Whilst there have been several moments throughout the record where guitarist Noodles has had plenty of moments to shine, it’s during Get Some that allows him to truly shine with a fun and noodling (get it?) riff where he effortlessly switches between soloing and delivering angry riffs that will once again have you not wanting to keep still during the listen. Hanging By A Thread shows that there is still a lot of fire left in THE OFFSPRING just yet, a track that doesn’t let up at all and has echoes of those first few albums that set the band on their journey as a band. You Can’t Get There From Here closes the album out, like many tracks on this album it has a delightful bounce to it that keeps your attention from start to finish as it doesn’t let up one bit, once it starts it keeps building until the song’s crescendo brings Supercharged to a satisfying close.
Overall, Supercharged is a solid entry in THE OFFSPRING’s iconic discography. Whilst it isn’t their best work, it gives us a fun blast of nostalgia of that classic 90s period that was the band’s heyday and helps us remember why we all fell in love with punk/pop-punk music in the first place. It lasts just long enough without outstaying its welcome or feeling too bloated one bit, it’s a lean album that definitely delivers on its title, it’s simple but enjoyable from start to finish. If BLINK-182 were the crass band that our parents would roll their eyes at and GREEN DAY were the band that offered a more mature take on the genre, it’s The Offspring that employ both styles of each band that like the other two have endured to this day and leave one hell of a legacy in their wake.
Rating: 7/10
Supercharged is out now via Concord Records.
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