Different but great (Conspiracy Of One - Offspring)

Member Name: shaneo632

Product:	Conspiracy Of One - Offspring
Date:	13/09/09 (3 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Some classics

Disadvantages: Not all will like the change in direction

The Offspring have a dedicated fanbase and are regarded for their playful lyrics that are aimed firmly at a teenage audience, but with the rockers going well into their thirties as this album was released, it marks a change in their style somewhat. Prior to this, it was easy to tell an Offspring song, but with Conspiracy of One, they've shook up the expectations of their audiences a little bit, and in doing so have created a whole new, still great brand identity for themselves.

As occurs with every sort of punky band, they've matured and tried a few different things, such as the divisive track Denial Revisited, which is in fact a lot slower and more meditative than 99% of Offspring songs. It's obviously going to split their fans hugely, but I think it works for the most part.

The most famous, and possibly the best song from the album is Original Prankster - it's sure to satisfy everyone in that it returns more to the old style that we all love. It's very fun, jovial and the perfect party song - it's all about goofing off and having fun. The lyrics are worth listening to as they are quite amusing - it also had a great music video. Want You Bad's also a great song and one of their best poppy-ish songs in a long time - it has aching and emotive lyrics about unrequited love, and again, a crazy music video where everyone gets covered in foam.

Some fans are not going to like the change in pace, and that's fair enough - it's an often stark change, but there's still enough hard and fast tracks to please their staunch fans also. It's a lot less vacuous than what we're used to from the genre, and has clearly had thought put into it both lyrically and melodically. This is a sign of a band growing, but also of one that aren't going to alienate their core audience in the process, and I really must commend them for that.

Summary: A step in a new direction for the boys