The Offspring Splinter (Columbia) Rating: NN
Rating: NN
The Offspring still sound catchy, and at their best conjure up a decent version of mid-career Bad Religion melodicore. But remember that when you rearrange the letters in melodicore it spells mediocre (well, mediocre-lo, if you want to split hairs). Their skewering of pop culture and use of “in the now” jargon continue, but they don’t really change up their songwriting, unless you count the crooned buggery ditty When You’re In Prison, which sounds like it belongs on Weird Al Yankovic’s yet-to-be-released song-by-song parody of Frank’s Wild Years. Thirty-two minutes of ass.
