Spanning a career of nearly thirty years, the punk rock band Green Day released their 14th studio album “Saviors” back in January. The 46 minute long album is a mix of their classic sound with lyrics about the modern-day world.

The opening track “The American Dream Is Killing Me” sets the tone for the album. The song covers a variety of topics such as gentrification, the rise of artificial intelligence and addiction. The song is a clear rebuke of today’s political climate, both in terms of policy and rhetoric.

Further along in the album is the song “Goodnight Adeline.” The track is dedicated the struggles of alcohol addiction and corresponding mental health issues.

The lyrics, “Some days are holidays. Some days you call your mother. Some days you’re sober. But you’re still waking up with a hangover,” deeply resonated with me as a listener. This track and “Coma City” are my personal favorites from this album.

“Coma City” is song number seven out of fifteen on the album. This track tackles the dynamics of inner-city America, such as gun violence, addiction and issues regarding policing. The song also takes shots at billionaires for ignoring problems on Earth while having the desire to perfect space travel for ordinary citizens.

The song “Strange Days Are Here to Stay” is another track that is a commentary about our modern-day society. This song tackles how our government fails to live up to basic needs of people, how society has become more hateful and how mental health issues run rampant in our society.

The next song, “Living in the ‘20s,” is the shortest song on the album at two minutes and seven seconds. That being said, the song still packs a punch when it comes to lyrics. The song serves as a time capsule of the 2020s, with lyrics discussing mass shootings, fentanyl addiction and society groupthink.

Overall, I rate this album a 10 out of 10. The musical composition and lyrical content is done in classic Green Day fashion. The album is consistent with their sound and image but with a modern take on current events. As an avid fan of the band who grew up listening to them, it takes me back to my childhood and teenage years.

I will go out on a limb and say this album perfectly embodies what punk rock is supposed to be about. Punk rock criticizes society and their thoughts, cultural issues and those who are in charge of our government.

Green Day has remained consistent of being critical of American institutions, from during the Clinton years, to George W. Bush to Biden’s administration today. This album will be one of the band’s classics, right up there with “Dookie” and “American Idiot.”

Jacob Hamm can be reached at 581-2812 or at jmhamm@eiu.edu.