After the mixed reviews that the trio of albums, Uno, Dos and Tré received, I personally went off Green Day for a while, and until I jumped onto their Spotify to review this single, I had completely forgotten that the 2016 release of Revolution Radio even happened. I was intrigued to see which direction the band would go with their new music after their (and my own) brief hiatus, and to see if I could be dragged back into my 21st Century Breakdown. 

‘Fire, Ready, Aim’ is a mix of pop punk with a healthy addition of angst. With the upcoming Hella Mega Tour with Fall Out Boy and Weezer looming in the 2020 calendar, Green Day’s promise of new music was hoped to be as eccentric as the tour name. The fans weren’t to be disappointed. The song starts with clapping, need I say more! This being said, the song reminded me of the likes of ‘Know Your Enemy’ mainly due to the guitar riffs in their respective intros. Although ‘Fire, Ready, Aim’ lacks the fun guitar solo of ‘Know Your Enemy’, the fast-moving chord progression propels the song along. 

There is something different about Armstrong’s voice in this song that I can’t quite put my finger on. It is a brave move as Billy Joe has one of the most instantly recognisable voices out there. Although I respect this new angle, the eleven-year-old in me pines for the classic crones delivered in American Idiot. Either way, the raspier tones evident in this song add an exciting angle to Green Day’s ever-expanding repertoire that has to be saluted.

Even though the lyrics for this song are somewhat repetitive and the backing vocals are annoyingly catchy, I am eager to hear what the rest of the Father of All… album has to offer, since I am most definitely back in Breakdown mode!

‘Fire, Ready, Aim’ is available now via Reprise Records.
Father of All… is due for release in February 2020.