At this point reviewing a Rancid album is like reviewing a new Rolling Stones album: None of the songs are ever going to be worthwhile saving on your iTunes; None of the songs are going to be worthy of comparisons to their hey-day classics; and the only reason why there’s a new release is to have a new tour for the new fans and make new money.
Sorry, kids, but that’s the truth. I worship …And Out Come The Wolves, just as I do Warning, but Rancid are slowly falling into Green Day territory. Overcompensation may fool the 13-year-olds but not the veterans, and in this case a 19-track album is Rancid’s answer to a “suburban rock opera” by Green Day.
Trust me, by “The Bravest Kids,” the tenth track, you’ll be begging for the thing to just finish, and - Holy crap, I don’t think I just imagined it! Grab your “…And Out Come The Wolves” CD and play “Ruby SoHo” over “Disconnected”. Coincidence? Sigh. Nope, I didn’t think so either. Now they’re copying themselves.
Okay, I admit that we all went through our Rancid phase at one point or another, and they served their purpose well in that time. But I prefer to think of Rancid as a youthful memory rather than fading rockers desperately clinging to the Halcyon versions of themselves (like the Stones). I mean, do you know why Tim Armstrong wears a toque all the time? Because he over-dyed/treated his hair when he was younger. Now he has lost his locks (get the metaphor?).
Disappointing, but not surprising.
Track Listing:
1. East Bay Night
2. This Place
3. Up To No Good
4. Last One To Die
5. Disconnected
6. I Ain’t Worried
7. Damnation
8. New Orleans
9. Civilian Ways
10. The Bravest Kids
11. Skull City
12. LA River
13. Lulu
14. Dominoes Fall
15. Liberty And Freedom
16. You Want It, You Got It
17. Locomotive
18. That’s Just The Way It Is Now
19. The Highway
