This also means it was released only one year before Americana, which was a surprising discovery to me. Ixnay and Americana are generally considered bookends of old-school and new-age Offspring, and I never realised how short the gap between these eras actually is.
The Meaning Of Life has plenty of energy and some pop novelties tacked on to grab a bit of attentions. But fundamentally there are no effective hooks in the songwriting, so the song doesn't have an real lasting appeal. The same goes for Mota.
But then I quite like Me & My Old Lady, so my opinion doesn't make any sense! In this case, the cheesy pop-rock is somehow a bit of silly fun.
Things get very serious for Gone Away, and the results are incredible. It has all the power of a stadium-rock anthem, yet also with the humblest of emotions. A highlight for me is the unusual drum pattern, which perhaps distinguishes the song from the millions of other rock ballads out there. And, of course, the soaring singalong chorus, which is an all-time classic.
All I Want is energetic, messy and unrefined. I totally dig it! A particular highlight is the howling chorus. However, I might be biased about this song, because I have fond memories of it from the videogame Crazy Taxi. It's the same happy story for Way Down The Line, which also adds some great pop hooks.
As usual, this Offspring album features a lame attempt at ska. Although the a Buck-O-Nine style used for Don't Pick It Up actually works quite well for a change, shock horror!
Finally, Amazed brings in a bit of grunge influence to inject some variety. I find the verses a bit indistinct, but the chorus holds the song together nicely.
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