The band's first album since the departure of Tom DeLonge shows they lack any direction
By: Gio Mio
Blink-182 is the music that helped me get through every ounce of my childhood. Three immature teenagers from California that were known to sing about parties, run around naked in music videos, and defined the pop punk genre.
Tom DeLonge, Mark Hoppus, and Travis Barker made songs that the average kid growing up like myself needed. From the darker moments like "Adam's Song" to the happier go-lucky ones in "First Date" and "Rock Show." I stuck with them through their emo phase and when they got back together and toured with their album Neighborhoods in 2011.
Fast forward five years later, and DeLonge is serious about finding aliens. In his place is Alkaline Trio frontman Matt Skiba, while Hoppus and Barker stay in place. When I first heard of this change, I was happy, knowing Skiba's a great singer and guitar player. I screamed for excitement when they announced they were in the process of making a new album with this recently formed lineup.
Sadly, California falls flat on its face even from the start. A pop punk song can only be reshaped and reformed so much in a lifetime. The riff for "Adam's Song" is reissued twice on this album, one being on the album's first single "Bored To Death." Hoppus' vocals are obviously enhanced when they don't even need to be, save for the times he holds a note for a few measures. For a bunch of men over 40-years-old, singing about naked dudes in a pool sounds weird.
The potential of California is there, but it lacks an actual direction. Songs like "Cynical" and "Left Alone" are great pop punk songs that show the evolution of the band. But with those songs you get a "Los Angeles" or "California" that just drag. This band didn't need to have their record produced like 5 Seconds Of Summer. Hoppus has produced multiple mature punk bands, including one of my favorites Motion City Soundtrack. Where MCS matured and released a great farewell album in Panic Stations, Hoppus and crew made a sequel to the short-lived +44.
Half of the album shows the band going back to their peak years for inspiration. Take Off Your Pants And Jacket is the project that officially propelled the band into superstardom. Some of these instrumentals and vocal patterns are eerily similar on California, mostly "The Only Thing That Matters." When Blink goes back to their roots, they do it right. The vocal harmonies of Skiba and Hoppus blend in very well, along with Barker's quick drum patterns.
Blink's latest album will bring in a whole new generation of young teenagers, but push away the ones that were there from the start. Whether we'd like to admit it or not, DeLonge's horrible guitar skills and spacey vocals made the band a staple in pop punk. Without that element this band is more of a side project cashing in on the most popular name in the pop punk genre. Sadly, there comes a time where a once-immature punk band becomes irrelevant. I guess, this is growing up.
Final Verdict: 2.5/5
Notable Tracks
"Bored To Death"
"The Only Thing That Matters"
"Left Alone"
Blink-182 is the music that helped me get through every ounce of my childhood. Three immature teenagers from California that were known to sing about parties, run around naked in music videos, and defined the pop punk genre.
Tom DeLonge, Mark Hoppus, and Travis Barker made songs that the average kid growing up like myself needed. From the darker moments like "Adam's Song" to the happier go-lucky ones in "First Date" and "Rock Show." I stuck with them through their emo phase and when they got back together and toured with their album Neighborhoods in 2011.
Fast forward five years later, and DeLonge is serious about finding aliens. In his place is Alkaline Trio frontman Matt Skiba, while Hoppus and Barker stay in place. When I first heard of this change, I was happy, knowing Skiba's a great singer and guitar player. I screamed for excitement when they announced they were in the process of making a new album with this recently formed lineup.
Sadly, California falls flat on its face even from the start. A pop punk song can only be reshaped and reformed so much in a lifetime. The riff for "Adam's Song" is reissued twice on this album, one being on the album's first single "Bored To Death." Hoppus' vocals are obviously enhanced when they don't even need to be, save for the times he holds a note for a few measures. For a bunch of men over 40-years-old, singing about naked dudes in a pool sounds weird.
The potential of California is there, but it lacks an actual direction. Songs like "Cynical" and "Left Alone" are great pop punk songs that show the evolution of the band. But with those songs you get a "Los Angeles" or "California" that just drag. This band didn't need to have their record produced like 5 Seconds Of Summer. Hoppus has produced multiple mature punk bands, including one of my favorites Motion City Soundtrack. Where MCS matured and released a great farewell album in Panic Stations, Hoppus and crew made a sequel to the short-lived +44.
Half of the album shows the band going back to their peak years for inspiration. Take Off Your Pants And Jacket is the project that officially propelled the band into superstardom. Some of these instrumentals and vocal patterns are eerily similar on California, mostly "The Only Thing That Matters." When Blink goes back to their roots, they do it right. The vocal harmonies of Skiba and Hoppus blend in very well, along with Barker's quick drum patterns.
Blink's latest album will bring in a whole new generation of young teenagers, but push away the ones that were there from the start. Whether we'd like to admit it or not, DeLonge's horrible guitar skills and spacey vocals made the band a staple in pop punk. Without that element this band is more of a side project cashing in on the most popular name in the pop punk genre. Sadly, there comes a time where a once-immature punk band becomes irrelevant. I guess, this is growing up.
Final Verdict: 2.5/5
Notable Tracks
"Bored To Death"
"The Only Thing That Matters"
"Left Alone"