Whether they should be labeled pop music or not, the Offspring are renowned for all those songs that get stuck so easily in people's heads.
They continue that trend in their newest album Splinter.
The album begins with a march and the declaration "We will never lose to you," launching into a song about defeat and determination. The contrast is obviously not coincidental and quite clever.
Another thing the Offspring are famous for is their repetitive tempo and monotonous song structure. This doesn't change in Splinter.
The songs become less appealing due to their toned-down tunes and simple rhyme scheme. Honestly, "eyes/tries, dust/trust and wheel/feel" aren't exactly Shakespearian in their genius.
"The Worst Hangover Ever" has a melody too reminiscent of Sublime. The lyrics "I'm never gonna drink again/ at least not till next weekend," don't reach too highly on the laugh-o-meter. It could be funny, but only in a drunken sort of way, which could very well be the point.
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Splinter doesn't become a complete pain in the brain, though. A few gems keep the album failing to being background party music.
Its single "Hit That" has more than just an aesthetic value. The tune is catchy, the lyrics juvenile but poignant and the tone lighthearted and accusatory at the same time.
"Noose" has a good musical charge up, and its placement as second on the track list was a good call. "Well our visions of glory have spiraled down the drain/ the best of our intentions come crashing down in flames," while depressing and downtrodden, this is smack dab in the middle of a very stubborn, determined song ending with the mantra of "no more!"
One can easily imagine a shark pit spiraling in front of the stage during this song.
The Offspring's new drummer, Atom Willard, holds his own on this album with drums coming more to the fore than on the previous albums, adding to the charge of the good songs. The down points on the album are precisely because of a definite lack of drums anywhere near the foreground.
The point remains, however, that this is no masterpiece. It falls short of enticing lyrical devices and loses some of the flavor from its previous albums with less energy in the songs. The Offspring's rhyme has never been impressive, and it still disappoints.
