AMG Review of Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace

Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music Guide

On their eighth album, Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace, the Offspring rant about George W. Bush's America and all the crass consumerism accompanying it, and also snipe at dance beats on "You're Gonna Go Far, Kid" which is par for the course for the Offspring, who always seems to get a neo-novelty tune out of some rhythm or fad they don't like. They still favor frenzied, downstroked guitars and shout-along choruses. Still, the Offspring can't quite hide the passing of time, as they start to drift into power ballads and angsty anthems like "Kristy, Are You Doing Okay?," which feels tailor-made for a CW TV show. Such softening of their stance illustrates that it's impossible to avoid maturity.