Smash
The Offspring sound heavy even when they are writing a pop hook. On Smash, the guitars have a rough, solid weight, and Dexter Holland's high voice pushes against them with very little concern for elegance. That combination makes the record feel more threatening than its catchy choruses might suggest.
Come Out and Play is the obvious example. The winding lead figure and spoken interruptions give it a character of its own, while the stop-start rhythm leaves space for every hook. The song is easy to remember without becoming musically empty. Its sense of tension also suits the violence described in the words.
Self Esteem gets its force from a slower movement and an uncomfortable narrator. Holland sounds trapped between admitting a problem and finding another excuse for it. The big chorus does not resolve that weakness, which gives the song a useful emotional sting. Gotta Get Away is similarly effective at turning unease into something direct and physical.
Away from those familiar tracks, Nitro (Youth Energy) and Genocide bring the band's faster instincts forward. The guitar figures are distinct enough to make the speed count. These songs also reveal how well the group balance a shouted vocal with parts that invite a response.
The back half is rougher and less immediately welcoming. So Alone makes a brief, furious point, while What Happened to You? brings a lighter ska rhythm into the sequence. Not every change is equally convincing, and some of the generalised anger is less interesting than the specific troubles in Self Esteem. The record can be blunt in its thinking as well as its sound.
The title track gives the ending a strong centre, with a declaration of independence that fits the performance behind it. Smash succeeds through the friction between accessible songs and an abrasive delivery. Its best hooks welcome you in, then Holland makes sure you cannot get too comfortable.
