Those expecting a raw, back-to-basics return to true punk ethics after the ludicrous bombast of 'American Idiot' are going to be left choking on their Lydon-O's after giving '21st Century Breakdown' a spin. Three 'Acts', 18 tracks and 70 minutes in length, Green Day's new pop-punk opus firmly consolidates them as the poster boys for teenage-swooning pomposity in the new millenium. Not to say that it isn't a good record, of course.

    The gloriously cliché-stamped 'Charlatans and Saints' is probably the strongest Act of the three, not least thanks to irresistibly bouncy anthem 'East Jesus Nowhere' and sprawling epic 'Restless Heart Syndrome', both of which serve as two of a clutch of destined live favourites. All three parts throw up their own highlights though, such as the Hives-esque 'Horseshoes and Handgrenades' and the particularly spunky 'Christian's Inferno', with an intro that almost borders into power-pop territories.

   Sadly, for many triumphant highs there are some rather self-indulgent lows, with the gag -inducing ballad 'Last Night On Earth' proving a somewhat unnecessary addition among others. Indeed, though the immense scope of the album deserves plaudits in its own right, it can't be denied that Green Day have missed out on what could have become a truly classic album if they'd only trimmed the fat. Still, Billy Joe could fart into a microphone and sell millions these days, so he's probably not all too worried.

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