Green Day – Insomniac

Insomniac is Green Day reacting to the success of Dookie by getting meaner, darker and more tightly wound rather than trying to repeat the same smile. The hooks are still there, but they come coated in fatigue, paranoia and irritation. The album moves fast, but it does not feel carefree. There is a nervous edge running through it, and that tension gives the whole record a sharper personality than its predecessor. Songs like Armatage Shanks, Geek Stink Breath and Brain Stew sound like a band determined to prove they could get uglier without losing their instinct for melody.

What makes Insomniac hold up is that it never feels like a forced toughening-up exercise. The bitterness and exhaustion in the songs feel real, and the playing is lean and vicious enough to carry that mood all the way through. It is less immediately lovable than Dookie, but that is part of its appeal. This is Green Day at one of their most abrasive and combustible, still capable of massive choruses but no longer interested in sounding comfortable. It is a strong reminder that their best records are not just catchy, they have pressure inside them.