Thoughts on the new Blink-182 album

Blink-182 was the first band to abandon me. At a time when I was first starting to develop an appreciation for the bands that released the music I heard on the radio, television, and various "Now That's What I Call Music" compilation albums (I admit it...), Blink-182 hit a snag due to overwhelming turmoil among the members and called it quits. I remember hearing the news, and I felt beat down. I was confused. After all, their self-titled/untitled effort was magnificent, a masterpiece and a huge step up from anything they've ever done, so why would they want to walk away from it all?

I was a huge supporter of the various Blink side projects, but none of them had the long term affect on me that Blink's music did. They were one of the first 5 bands that made me fall in love with rock music, and along with Green Day they are the only two that I still listen to with any consistency. When I heard Blink-182 was going to share the same stage at the Grammys two years ago, the kid inside of me was giddy, as was the young adult and future adult. When they announced they were coming back, I was thrilled. A part of myself was revived.

Their new album hit many snags, and so many on absolutepunk.net and other internet music sites lost faith that it would ever come out. But here we are on September 27th, and the new Blink-182 album is in stores and on music sites everywhere. All the anticipation, the talk, the cancelled tour dates and dreaming has led to the release of Neighborhoods, the sixth studio effort from the veteran pop punkers. On first listen, the most startling thing I can point out about the new CD is that it sounds like Blink-182. That is putting it simply, but as best I could.

Everyone complained about how "Up All Night" sounds like Angels and Airwaves and Boxcar Racer or how other songs sound like +44. That's because those bands were formed by members of Blink-182. That criticism is unnecessary. Had the new Blink album come out without any break-up or side projects, every fan would have praised this album as the logical progression from their self-titled effort. Had Blink-182 called it quits after "Take Off Your Pants and Jacket", formed side projects, and reformed to write self-titled, people would be criticizing that album as sound too much like said projects. In the end, all roads point to Blink-182.

So with all that said, my thoughts on the music that comprises Neighborhoods: The opener is solid, though the synthesizer is a little off-putting and sounds a little out of place for a Blink song. What I do love from Ghost on the Dance Floor is the verses, which bring up images of "There Is" by Boxcar Racer. The fast track Natives precedes Up All Night, a song which many were weary about at first but will enjoy a lot more within the confines of this album. Up All Night fits so much better with the sound this CD establishes.

Snake Charmer is a stand out track which starts with the recognizable base lines and drum beats of Mark and Travis, respectively, and give away to a heavy, dark guitar riff mixed in with a hypnotic piano over Tom's familiar whine. Tom sings "she creeps up like a spider, and wants you deep inside her/she turns you into stone, a twisted little stone", which embody the darkness Blink has embodied with their newest lyrics. The song leads well into an interlude that opens for the Bad Religion-sounding "Heart's All Gone", the fastest track on the new album that may remind many of old favorites like "Josie".

Tom and Mark's dynamic on the new album is as solid as its ever been, as they both share the spotlight on many songs, giving way for an interest back-and-forth on tracks like Kaleidoscope, where Mark discusses the long road and deadlines missed leading up to the new album's release. This song has single written all over it and may get some heavy play in future Blink-182 circles.

The song "Love is Dangerous" highlights the spacy overtones that are familiar to Angels and Airwaves fans, while MH 4.18.2011 is more pop punk influenced with a dance factor that is reminiscent of +44. In the end though, it's because of the progression Mark and Tom have faced post-break up that this album takes the shape it does and it's what ultimately makes this a fantastic Blink album.

10, 20, 50 years from now we won't look back at this album as a classic and in the end it might not even be a top 10 or 20 album of 2011 because of the high quality of releases from this year. But what we will take away from this album is that Blink-182 is back and still capable of writing catchy, danceable punk music that makes you want to sing along to with the windows down. It's just that this time, they've had some difficulties to overcome that have added a more real element to what they're talking about. The hardships were overcome and helped give them another dimension to their music, something fans should appreciate.

Blink-182 is back. For how long we won't know, but we should enjoy them while we have them. They will continue to tour and churn out hit songs. Welcome back boys.