Splinter

by

The Offspring

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After reading many different reviews of this record here and elsewhere, I've come to the conclusion that the Offspring just can't win with some people. Some say that the Offspring continue to pump out the same music over and over without giving it any though or creativity. Others chastize them for not making every album sound exactly like Smash. Which way is it? Perhaps if people would just listen to music for what it is and not be so quick to judge, they would see the good in it.

Ask the average person what catergory of music The Offspring fall under, and most will tell you Punk. That's fine by me. Does that mean that every sone they put out has have the hardcore sound like every song on Smash or Ignition? I sure don't hope so. Bands change and evolve with time, and so does their music. It would get mighty boring listening to the same album with a different title over and over. While I still enjoy a kick ass punk jam (Da Hui, Lightning Rod, etc..) that doesn't necessarily I don't appreciate the clever creativeness of Worst Hangover and Spare Me The Details. If people wouldn't be so quick to judge the music or throw it into a specific catergory, perhaps they would see that a band doesn't have to necessarily fit firmly into a particular mold (ie Punk, Rock, Country, etc..) to make good music.

Overall, I think the Offspring have created a winner with Splinter. Maybe even one of their best yet. If you are a fan of the Offspring, I highly recommend this CD. Just remember to listen to it objectively, and perhaps you will enjoy it for what it really is, great music. Even if it doesn't fit a particular mold.

One of the things that's disappointed me the most about Offspring lately is their lack of output. In the last six years, they've only made two albums, both of which could have been combined into a single one because they were so short. My biggest beef with "Splinter" is that I don't like waiting three years and then spending $16 on an album (and that was on sale) to get just 32 minutes of material. "Splinter" is a good album, but there's just not nearly enough of it.

There are several standouts on "Splinter" and no real bad songs. One thing I like about Offspring is that they realize (unlike Blink 182) that they're not supposed to be making serious music. Sure, they've had depressing songs before, but they also never let the fun leave their albums. The only real angry song on here is the opener "Neocon", which I loved because I feel that same anger towards George Bush. The single best song is "The Worst Hangover Ever", which is so catchy that I find myself singing it constantly. Other good ones include "The Noose", "Race Against Myself", "Spare Me the Details", and "Da Hui". Many people were upset with "When You're In Prison", but I found it to be hilarious (although it could have been a hidden track).

Which brings us to "Splinter"'s #1 problem, and that's its length. Some people may not be bothered by this, but in the age of downloading I want to know I'm getting my money's worth when I actually buy an album. If you get it for $16, then "Splinter" charges you 50 cents per minute of listening, and that's including "When You're In Prison". By contrast, if you get an album by Pearl Jam (my favorite band) on sale, you may pay less than 25 cents per minute. "Splinter"'s brevity makes it feel rushed and unfinished, and makes me say that you may be better off trying to download it. You can't tell me that after years of work, the best you could give me was 30 minutes of only 11 tracks.

Offspring made a somewhat good album with "Splinter", but it just feels like it could have been much more. Buy it if you want to complete your Offspring collection (as I did), but if not then you're probably better off downloading it. After all, Offpsring's one of the few bands that doesn not condemn that.