Green Day's "iUno!" reminisces their younger days

The potty-mouthed pop punkers that brought the world “Dookie” and “Nimrod” are back to their old ways. Their arrival could not have been timelier.

The atmosphere on Green Day's most recent release “iUno!” sounds closer to the band’s 1994 breakthrough album “Dookie” than it does any of their recent releases. It was a much needed change for the band, and it is their first record in nearly ten years that did not attempt the feat of "rock opera."

Green Day struck gold with 2004's “American Idiot,” and they were moderately successful with 2009's “21st Century Breakdown.” The new disc thrives on spastic punk rock energy, power chords and bombastic drums. The album also presents a more mature twist, one that reflects their growth and experience in the business.

“iUno!” kicks off with "Nuclear Family," which begins with front man Billie Joe Armstrong belting the carefree line "gonna ride the world like a merry go round." The theme of living life to the fullest was consistent throughout the album, especially on tracks like "Carpe Diem" and "Rusty James."

The song "Let Yourself Go" is a locomotive of raw pop punk energy. It displays a Green Day that has been lost in the years of artistic exploration, but the sound is welcomed like a long lost friend.

"Kill The DJ" is one of the disc’s best tracks, and it stylistically stands out from the rest of the album. It is a romp-stomp, Clash-esque funk song that features clean guitars and full on dance beats.

The record closes with the first single that was released, "Oh Love," which begins with Armstrong’s melodic plea "oh love, oh love, won't you rain on me tonight?"

“iUno!” is the first part of a trilogy of albums, the others titled "iDos! " and "iTre!'" (after drummer Tre' Cool). "iDos!” will be released in November and "iTre!" in January. According to an interview Armstrong gave to Guitar World Magazine, "iUno!" features more of the classic pop punk Green Day, "Dos!" will be more heavy on the classic rock element (similar to their side project The Foxboro Hottubs), and "iTre!" will be a mixed bag.

After a solid performance on “iUno!,” Green Day is one third of the way to a successful project.