[Rizumu]

Anyone get this yet? I just bought it today and have been listening. I swear this popped out of nowhere. I walk in the record store and holy crap, there's a new Offspring album! Now I have a soft spot in my heart for the Offspring. They were the first band I ever listened to. I love these guys. I wasn't really expecting much from this release (especially since I wasn't aware it existed heh), just the good old, fun Offspring that I've always enjoyed. Fun it is, and it kicks ass as well. At only ~30 minutes this album is short, but I have a penchant for short and sweet albums. I think it flows better and is more consistent than Conspiracy of One, even though I think Conspiracy of One had some better songs. So Splinter as an album is better, IMO. Conspiracy had too many stinkers bogging it down and upsetting the pace, Splinter just rip roars from start to stop smoothly. \m/ I recommend it wholeheartedly if you've ever liked any of the Offspring's material.

 

[redbool]

cool! thanks for the review man.

i stumbled across it by accident while browsing my local cd shop as well. was thinking if i should get it. reviews on the web have been kinda mixed.

 

[myself, aka me]

I've heard ads on the radio but I can't find the album! I wanna buy it, they were the first band I listened to. I like the single 'hit that'. Is it the 'original prankster' and 'pretty fly' song? (they always seem to have a song in that style)

 

[Rizumu]

Quote:

Originally posted by myself, aka me I've heard ads on the radio but I can't find the album! I wanna buy it, they were the first band I listened to. I like the single 'hit that'. Is it the 'original prankster' and 'pretty fly' song? (they always seem to have a song in that style)

Hmm...I suppose in that it's one of their non-serious songs and their single as well. So yeah. But ever since Smash they've had the formula of break-neck, fast-as-hell punk songs interspersed with less serious joke songs, often experimental and quite different musically, as well as some variation with slower rockers like "Denial Revisited" and "Amazed". The worst song on the album is "Race Against Myself" which is a slower song in the same vein as the previous two I mentioned, except that it sucks. So "Hit That" is one of the silly songs on the album, as well as "The Worst Hangover Ever" and a couple others. Nothing on the scale of crappiness and annoyingness that Original Prankster was thankfully...I always hit skip when I got to that song on Conspiracy of One and I never skip around in albums unless I hit a very, very bad song.

But I really liked the joke songs on this album and didn't feel like they detracted from its flow at all. This is fast becoming my favorite Offspring album in a long time. I think it needed about one or two more songs though, and several songs were a bit too familiar to Americana ones...very familiar in fact. If I could sum Splinter up in a sentence though, I would say that it isn't breaking any new ground for the Offspring, rather it's a perfection of their formula and sound. I think it won't be until the next CD that I'll start bitching that everything's the same

 

[radrd]

I picked up Splinter the other day, and I've listened to it at least four times. At first I was a bit jaded because it is quite short, but thankfully every song on there is good in one way or another (no filler). In my opinion, "Ixnay on the Hombre" is still definitely their best album, but I must say that I'm liking this new one more and more with each time I hear it. In my book, the Offspring hasn't put out a single disappointing album, which is more than I can say for most other bands.

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

It's definitely a fun little album, and like you said lacks the lame songs of Conspiracy. The single is actually a pretty good song, like thier last few, IMO. Definitely a good effort from SC's favorite pseudo-punk band, even if it's really nothing that new.

 

[radrd]

Quote:

even if it's really nothing that new

I for one do not want anything too "new". This band has been perched above the precipice of selling out ever since Smash, but thankfully we have not seen an entire album of songs like "Pretty Fly."

 

[fierce_freak]

Quote:

Originally posted by radrd In my opinion, "Ixnay on the Hombre" is still definitely their best album

word

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

Quote:

Originally posted by radrd I for one do not want anything too "new". This band has been perched above the precipice of selling out ever since Smash, but thankfully we have not seen an entire album of songs like "Pretty Fly."

I agree. The only benefit to trying something new is that a band's first album or two in a certain style is usually their best, but some bands do better if they stick to what they know.

 

[Mr.PD]

I just recently found out that Splinter was released. It was released a long time ago, but I missed it. I still haven't picked it up yet.
Thanks for the review, I am going to add this one to my collection.

Oh, I agree about Ixnay being the best one.

 

[myself, aka me]

I like Ixnay, I don't know, it sounds like they are maturing their sound on that album. My second favourite is Ignition, I wonder how this one will rate! It sounds like it should be good even if a little brief.

 

[Rangers34]

Well, it's now tied with Ixnay as the lowest rated offspring album on allmusic, so ya'll should love it

 

[Mr.PD]

I just picked up Splinter and I am listening to it right now.
Yep, I like it so far. Unfortunatley I have been reading here while listening so I have no idea what song is what, and I may not have paid much attention either.

But, I can say that nothing annoying has caught my attention. I did kinda like the hangover song. This album is a bit better polished than what I remember the other albums being. I guess I will have to get out some other albums and do a little comparo.


Allmusic must be like movie reviewers, if they hate it I will love it, If they like it I won't.

 

[Braver]

ixnay is kinda cool, but IMO smash is still best. lost interest after that, got sick over "pretty fly for a white guy"...also the fact that the drums on ixnay are exactly the same, excet for two tracks.

 

[Mr.PD]

Hey Rizumu, what did you think of the extra part?
I'm listening to the "island version" of the kids are alright.
Okay, it may not be the best thing I've ever heard. It's just instrumental (Don Ho comes to mind). They have that and an istrumental version of When your in Prison as MP3 in the extra section of the CD. This one is 160 kbs. There is also wallpapers, a video and a tour of the studio, which I liked.
A lot better extras than some labels put out, like Sony