New music review: ?Dos!, Green Day (Warner Music) | Montreal ...

Photo by Felisha White; courtesy of Warner Music Canada; left to right: Tr? Cool, Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt

Bookended by gentle, stripped-down, `50s-styled songs with nothing but soaked-shirt rock n? roll in between, the second disc in Green Day?s trilogy-in-progress advances the project considerably.

?Uno!, the first of three new albums being released by the band in less than three months, was a workmanlike return to their juvenile 1994 breakout Dookie. But with its self-consciously adolescent lyrics and a lack of strong melodies, it sounded mostly like a lesser effort by any one of the band?s many pop-punk imitators.

Luckily, ?Dos! fixes everything, leaving doubts in the dust ? at least pending next month?s release of ?Tre!, which is expected to be more elaborate and arena-friendly.

What we have here is, essentially, a timeless rock album that sounds like above-average Green Day, while it simultaneously tips its hat to many of the forebears who made the group?s music possible. This is why, for example, you?ll find Billie Joe Armstrong playing a solo straight out of Chuck Berry on F ? k Time, previously known as a song by his side project, Foxboro Hot Tubs.

You?ll also hear nods to, among others, the early Who (Lazy Bones), the Beatles (Wild One) and soul (Makeout Party, which sounds like Eddie Holland?s Leaving Here). Lady Cobra goes it all one better, sounding like Little Richard?s The Girl Can?t Help It as played by Status Quo in more of a rush than usual.

Surprisingly, Armstrong?s guitar solos ? more like brief, excited outbursts of string-bending than actual solos, really ? provide some of the most exhilarating moments on an album that rarely lets the energy level drop. The goofy, vaguely Eastern-sounding hook that drives Wow! That?s Loud is also one of his finest ? and most amusing ? moments.

No move here seems misguided. Even Lady Cobra?s rapping in Nightlife turns up in the right place with the right attitude.

?Dos! is a straight-up rock n? roll album. We had been warned. What we didn?t expect was a great one.

Rating: ****

Podworthy: Baby Eyes

(?Dos! will be available Nov. 13. The launch of the disc will be celebrated Nov. 13 at 8 p.m. with a performance by the Green Day tribute band Green Holiday at the Peopl. Boutique Lounge & Club, 390 Notre-Dame St. W. Admission is free.)

Here?s the video for Stray Heart:

Bernard Perusse

Twitter: @bernieperusse

Source: http://blogs.montrealgazette.com/2012/11/10/new-music-review-dos-green-day-warner-music/

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