Over 30 years after their first song came out, punk-rock icons Green Day are still going strong after releasing a new single.

The single, titled Holy Toledo!, was released on Friday, November 5th, and for a die-hard Green Day fan such as myself it was a very encouraging song to hear. Holy Toledo! serves as a bit of a return to form for Green Day, who were widely criticized for their 2020 album “Father of All…”. The new single opens with the instantly recognizable voice of Green Day front man Billie Joe Armstrong, who sings that he wants to, “Go Where the Trouble Begins”. This theme of following trouble, and living life to the fullest plays out wonderfully in this song and is perfectly emphasized by the punchy drums and fun, melodic bass line.

The drums, played by Tré Cool, have long been a staple in Green Day’s songs and are one of the features in the new song that make it so fun to listen to. After Billie Joe Armstrong opens the song with his isolated vocals, Tré Cool puts his signature flare into the song with an explosive and rapid-fire beat. Throughout the entire song, Cool keeps the time with his trademark punk rock sound, while adding fun little drum fills in here and there to give the single some character. And, while the drums do provide a great, fun sound, the real MVP of the song is Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt.

In my opinion, Mike Dirnt is one of the more underrated bass players in rock music, and he is constantly overshadowed thanks to the other great talents in Green Day. But, in this song Dirnt is the one who sticks out. His bass has great sound in the single, and bounces off of the main guitar riff incredibly well. Not only is his bass playing incredible, but the backing vocals by Dirnt are incredible too. For the last thirty-plus years, Dirnt has provided the perfect backup singing to Billie Joe Armstrong, and this instance is no different.

Speaking of Billie Joe Armstrong, there obviously cannot be Green Day without his bright, energetic guitar riffs and youthful one of a kind voice. In this song, Armstrong brings all of those to the table while also playing the piano, a skill that he first showed off on Green Day’s 2009 album “21st Century Breakdown”. This fun piano sound mixed with the classic punk rock sound of Green Day makes the song really pop and have a great deal of personality.

In the broader context of Green Day’s catalog, Holy Toledo! will certainly not go down as one of Green Day’s biggest hits, but it is however still a great and extremely catchy song. And, for Green Day to still be making music this good thirty years into their career is a testament to their once-in-a-lifetime talent. So, if you haven’t already, do yourself a favor and listen to Holy Toledo!