Dr. Dex

On Americana, Offspring sideline as psychiatrists

by Chris Kanaracus

Coffee Kingdom will be eerily quiet and babysitters will be in short supply when the Offspring roll into the Palladium on Monday in support of their new CD, Americana.

The disc is a sarcastic, thought-provoking, and, at times, hilarious 43-minute ride through such well-worn topics as teen angst, crazy ex-girlfriends, and life in America, post-Jerry Springer.

The music itself is tighter and more diverse than on previous Offspring releases. Boinging sitar lines bookend the epic-length album closer "Pay the Man," and the infectious, country-like "Why Don't You Get A Job" just screams Three Dog Night.

Offspring bassist Greg Kriesel says the band's increased range is the result of a "natural progression . . . a little bit of all of our personal tastes, and maybe some subconscious gathering up of what we hear on the radio." But he doesn't see future albums straying much further from the band's current path. "We've always been just a heavy band with a lot of fast tunes, with a few different ones thrown in just to mix it up."

Kriesel says that with songs like "The Kids Aren't Alright" -- reportedly inspired by a trip vocalist Dexter Holland took through his old neighborhood in Orange County, California -- the band hoped to cast light on "a different part of society . . . one that maybe people don't want to see." On the track, vocalist "Professor" Holland's biting lyrics and nasal bark of a voice seek to destroy the notion that American kids are heirs to a wealth of golden opportunities. The way Holland sees it, the only things many youths have to look forward to are nervous breakdowns, drug addiction, and fatal car accidents.

It is that very connection to youth that is one of the Offspring's greatest strengths, given their status as elder statesmen of the punk scene. While they're not ready to be put out to pasture yet, their average age is around 30, and they've been performing as a band since 1989. Subsequently, Holland's lyrics come off as that of an older brother -- at once a lecture, a pep talk, and a comedy routine.

One track on Americana that fits that description is "She's Got Issues," a diatribe against a former significant other that recalls that classic fist-pumper "Self Esteem"(from the Offspring's '92 release Smash). The song's discussion of how some people can never be wrong makes one laugh while simultaneously nodding one's head in grim recognition, making the incredible pain that can result from love gone bad seem bearable, even laughable. It's so therapeutic, one has to wonder: Do the Offspring moonlight as psychiatrists?

"A lot of that comes directly from Dexter's head, whether from a personal experience he's had, or just something he heard about or thought up one day." says Kriesel. "We basically agree with where he's coming from."

He may have no choice. "Dexter brings complete songs to the group . . . occasionally we may work out our parts differently but not too often. I'm okay with that, it's the way we've always done things, and it's worked out pretty good so far."

It might be time for a change, however. Americana suffers from a bit too much padding, as on such tracks as "Staring at the Sun" and "Walla Walla," both of which are so wholly generic as to be indistinguishable from one another. More than that, Holland's relentlessly in-your-face vocals can get more than a little grating at times -- despite his obvious enthusiasm, the album sounds too much like a one-man show. The tracks that do stand out -- like "Pay the Man" and current radio staple "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)" -- are the ones that use the band as a whole.

But enough about that. It's all about the kids, right? "We don't shy away from our fans, whether in the back by the bus, or whenever an opportunity comes up," says Kriesel. The Offspring have toured nearly the entire globe during their career, to places as diverse as Rio De Janeiro and Tokyo. Kriesel has found that "while each country may have some cultural differences, I've found the kids to be all the same . . . all the same issues and problems as anywhere else."

But he is hesitant to assume the mantle of father figure to a new generation of punks. "We're not really trying to send a message, I don't think . . . if people get something out of it, then good. We're just taking this thing one year, one album, one tour at a time . . . we'll do it until it gets stale."

Offspring appear at the Palladium at 8 p.m. on December 7. Tickets are $16.50. Call 797-9696.