Review: The Offspring – Conspiracy of One
The Offspring’s last release was panned by critics and some fans as a turning for the band. Since their highly publicized departure from Epitaph Records to the Sony owned Columbia, they have been labeled sell-outs, traitors, and trendy. But it just goes to show that a band’s real fans are the one’s who stand by them no matter how bad an album they put out, or how different they change.
I am a true Offspring fan, and I totally loved their last CD, Americana. Sure, it wasn’t their best CD (that honor belongs to their breakout hit, Smash) but they made an honest effort to return to the style that made them famous with the afore mentioned Smash and Ixnay on the Hombre.
Conspiracy of one was originally intended to be released online through the band’s website in MP3 form in order to show their support for Napster and the whole file-swapping digital revolution online. Sony didn’t like that idea much. But the band did manage to release their first single from the album, “Original Prankster” on their site to help promote the disc and it’s impending release. The Offspring are only one of the bands (Including Limp Bizkit and others) that have publicly stepped up and supported the near-defunct swapping pioneer service.
Conspiracy of one features everything the Offspring are known for. There is the catch “Original Prankster” that reminds you more of “Why Don’t You Get A Job” and “Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)” than traditional old-school Offspring. But the CD does have it’s share of hard hits. “Special Delivery” brings back the days of Smash’s “Bad Habit” and “Million Miles Away” brings you back Ixnay on the Hombre’s “Staring at the Sun” and “Gone Away.”
If anything the Offspring have the ability to test different styles of music, just as they did with “Pay the Man” on Americana. While the disc is not their best effort, that doesn’t mean it isn’t still good. Smash was so good that they would be hard pressed to find a way to top it, but I’m egger to see if, and when, they do.
