Welcome to Part 3 of Left of The Dial’s Green Day Trilogy review! This week, we’re covering the final album in the trilogy, ¡TRÉ!. The record was initially scheduled to be released in January 2013, but due to Billie Joe Armstrong’s admittance into rehab and the subsequent tour cancellations before the trilogy’s debut, the album’s release date was pushed ahead to December 2012. While it’s not certain that the early release caused any problems for listeners, it also didn’t save it from becoming simultaneously the worst selling installment of the trilogy and the worst selling Green Day record up to that point. Armstrong had described ¡UNO! as the pre-party record and ¡DOS! as the party record, so ¡TRÉ! serves as the after-party record. Does that mean we should expect some slower and more reflective songs in the vein of “Amy,” which capped off the last record? Place your bets as we give ¡TRÉ! a spin!
Side 1
Side 1 contains “Brutal Love,” “Missing You,” “8th Avenue Serenade,” “Drama Queen,” “X-Kid,” and “Sex, Drugs & Violence.”
Starting with “Brutal Love,” if you were betting on ¡TRÉ! containing some slower tracks, then you would be correct! Too bad I don’t have any prizes to give you. Anyways, “Brutal Love” is quite the ambitious song from a compositional standpoint. This may be the first time we’ve heard the band bring in a full-blown orchestra. We’ve gotten tastes of strings and horns in plenty of tracks, from “Good Riddance” to “King For a Day,” so it was only a matter of time before we’d hear orchestral accompaniment to this extent. I appreciate that it’s kept in the background and doesn’t replace the main quartet of Armstrong, Dirnt, Cool, and White. Another high point is the range Armstrong showcases vocally on the track. He’s able to shift between notes so effortlessly, it makes for worthy proof that he has, in fact, been professionally trained to sing. Overall, it starts the album with one hell of a bang!
“Missing You” is up next, and it definitely feels a little dull compared to its predecessor. That doesn’t make it a bad track though, far from it. I like the double-meaning of the title and how it’s used in the lyrics, as well as the bass-driven composition. Its only flaw is that aside from the creativity of the lyrics, it doesn’t have much else to help it stand out from the rest of the trilogy’s tracklist. I’d say it has some purpose as a return-to-form from the more wild and ambitious songs that came before it. Plus, it helps fulfill the album’s description as “the after-party record.” Don’t overlook it!
The next song is “8th Avenue Serenade,” a personal favorite of mine. It’s an energetic, delightfully sappy love song that just does everything right. The composition takes advantage of occasional pauses to give it a unique sound, and the use of vocal harmonies gives it extra brownie points in my book. It’s a tad short, but it still feels like a structurally-complete track. Funny enough, I wasn’t a huge fan of this song when I listened to it for the first time. It only grew on me recently, so it stands among other tracks like “Ashley” and “Fell For You” as reasons to revisit older albums and give them a second chance.
“Drama Queen” stands out from the start. It’s driven by an acoustic guitar, which gives it a reflective and nostalgic sound. There’s also a prominent use of piano here, which we heard in “Brutal Love.” The slow and reflective nature of the composition take on a dark tone when you look into the lyrics, which describe a girl whose attention-seeking ways drive her psycho. If you recall from the ¡DOS! review, this track was originally going to be on that album, and “Stray Heart” was on this album instead, but both were swapped last minute. This was definitely a good choice, as “Drama Queen” fits perfectly with this album’s themes and tone, as does “Stray Heart” with the other album. Overall, it’s a unique track that’s definitely worth a few listens.
Up next is “X-Kid,” which was this album’s big single and fan favorite. It follows in the dark footsteps of “J.A.R. (Jason Andrew Relva)” and “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” as it describes an old friend of Armstrong who ended up passing away long before he should have. Upon my first listen, this track didn’t do much for me, and I didn’t understand why it was so highly regarded. Upon revisitation, I can appreciate how solid it is as classic Green Day material. The slower pace mixes well with the garage sound of the guitars, and the vocal harmonies are put to excellent use in the chorus. While I don’t think it’s the greatest track on the trilogy, it’s definitely a solid contender for the best track on ¡TRÉ!.
Unfortunately, Side 1 is capped off with “Sex, Drugs, and Violence,” which was so close to being good, but just misses the mark. The driving guitar riff is derivative, but solid enough. The lyrics are what kill it though; they suffer from being uninspired and a bit embarrassing, not unlike “Kill The DJ” or “F*** Time” before it. The vocal delivery, however, almost make up for this problem. Not only is the delivery solid, but it also features harmonies all throughout the song. This is also one of the rare instances where Mike Dirnt takes on lead vocals, though his part is brief. I’d like to see a version of this track where he completely takes over lead vocal duty, since it feels tailored to his voice. I’d say if the lyrics don’t bother you, then give this one a shot. Otherwise, it ends Side 1 on a bit of a whimper.
Side 2
Side 2 features “A Little Boy Named Train,” “Amanda,” “Walk Away,” “Dirty Rotten Bastards,” “99 Revolutions,” and “The Forgotten.”
“A Little Boy Named Train” is an interesting track to me, because I used to hate this one the first few times I listened to it. I think it was the immature inflections Armstrong used in his vocal delivery that initially soured me on the song. Upon re-visitation though, that’s become part of the song’s charm. The lyrics are written from the perspective of a young kid, so the inflections really help nail the immature tone. I also appreciate the fast pace, which aids in the youthful feel, as well as the subtle, yet effective bass. It’s a solid way to start Side 2.
“Amanda” is up next. This is a solid throwback track about the infamous Amanda, a woman Armstrong briefly dated who broke his heart and joined the Peace Corps in the early 90s. I say infamous because he still writes songs about her to this day. The lyrics relay the complications of their relationship pretty well, and I appreciate the old-school song structure. It calls back to the band’s early days, which works with how long ago this breakup happened. Overall, it’s yet another solid track.
The next track is “Walk Away,” which is another instance of a track I didn’t give a chance back in the day. It’s a great ballad about knowing when to stop the fight and ‘walk away.’ It’s a refreshing message to get from a song, among so many that say to never give up or stop fighting. It’s also another wonderful showcase of Armstrong’s vocal range, mostly in the verses. There’s so much good stuff about this song, it’s a wonder why it hasn’t garnered the popularity of tracks like “X-Kid” or our next song, “Dirty Rotten Bastards.”
This is a callback to the band’s rock opera phase, which explains why it’s also a fan favorite. It features distinct movements that come together smoothly, which the band has always been good at. Think “Jesus of Suburbia” or “Homecoming” from American Idiot, and that should give you an idea of what to expect. Granted, this has that distinct trilogy sound, so it has a dirtier feel. If “Brutal Love” was a showcase of orchestral accompaniment, then “Dirty Rotten Bastards” is this album’s showcase of the quartet’s talents on their own. There’s killer bass and guitar solos that rocket the already high energy to infinity and beyond, which is a blast! The only issue here is the placement on the album. This is the kind of material that helps open or close the record, so it’s odd hearing it a little closer to the middle. It would probably be better off being swapped with the next song.
“99 Revolutions” might give you some deja-vu with the opening. Does the opening of “Lazy Bones” come to mind? Aside from that, the guitar work makes it clear that this song will go in a totally different direction. It’s a fun piece of pop-punk, nothing less. The energy it has makes up for the simplicity of the composition. Speaking of composition, it’s a little more apparent on this track that there’s two guitarists at play. I’m still not happy that Jason White is so underutilized, but I suppose a few tracks showcasing him are better than none at all. It’s worth noting that the band decided to call their promotional tour for the trilogy the “99 Revolutions Tour” after this song. The glove fits!
Finally, the album closer is “The Forgotten.” Any Twilight fans reading this might recognize this track from the soundtrack for Breaking Dawn: Part 2. That makes this the first single released for ¡TRÉ!, since the soundtrack released in November 2012 and the song got an individual release in October of the same year. The strings make a triumphant return on this track, as does the piano, which drives the song. It’s an angsty song in that cheesy ‘I’m 14 and this is deep’ way, and don’t take that as a negative. There’s a lot of beauty to the bittersweet tone it’s working with. Armstrong kills it with his vocals, perfectly capturing the vulnerability of finality. That being said, this is probably the farthest the band has strayed from their usual sound, and it strays from the dirty instrumentals that tied the other tracks together. While it doesn’t quite fit in with its peers, it’s still a beautiful ballad and a wonderful closer to not just ¡TRÉ!, but the whole trilogy.
¡TRÉ! is a strong album with minimal flaws that don’t detract much from the overall quality. In fact, I think it’s the strongest album of the whole trilogy. The top three tracks would be “8th Avenue Serenade,” “X-Kid,” and “The Forgotten,” with honorable mentions going to “Brutal Love” and “99 Revolutions.” There isn’t a bottom three this time, though “Sex, Drugs & Violence” would be the only contender.
Rating: 9/10
Feature Photo by Becca Fauteux