But first, lets talk little bit about how where the band members before recording the new album. Drummer Travis Barker,who was recording a solo album entitled "give the drummer some", and Mark Hoppus, bassist, made a band called "+44" which kind of followed the tunes and rhythms of blink but with a little electronic and popper perspective.Meanwhile Travis and Mark were with +44, guitarist Tom Delongue was also trying new projects with a new band called Angels and Airwaves, this new sound lead to the discussion that Delongue's voice had changed a lot overtime and the blink 182 fans seemed to refuse this new sound. Anyway, both bands had big success and made incredible records, but it was time for blink to come back and so they did and gave us this:
Im not gonna lie, the first time i heard the album i was really confused, i didn't dislike it at all, i actually though it was a great album but i have to admit that i expected another type of music, and i actually think that is the biggest mistake we(the fans) make when criticizing this album, many people were expecting the old blink but bands grow and develop, and so on this is the result.
The album stars with the song "Ghost on the dance floor", my feeling with this song was pretty weird, when you listen to a new song of blink 182 after so many years without having listening any new stuff you don't expect to hear such sounds linked to blink 182, a punk rock band. And so on, Tom Delongue starts to sing, it wasn't the same Tom from "feeling this" or Reckless abandon", it was something new, but it was cool! and then Mark sings the backup vocals and Travis makes a big intro and all in all, Blink 182 was finally back!.
Normally, when hearing a record for the first time, you expect to hear 4 or 5 great songs and 8 not so great but it seems that this guys don't want their fans to be disappointed and after ghost on the dance floor , the album gives us the best song of the album(in my opinion), "Natives",it has everything, it has Tom singing the verse, Mark the chorus, Travis taking the song's rhythm to a complete new level and it makes you wanna jump and run and shout, which i think is the common response for a blink 182 song.
Then the playlist is followed by the first single of the album, "Up all night", it was the first taste of the new sound that the band gave us before the release of the album and it was actually pretty awesome and the video of the song describes the feeling of the song, firing and crushing places while starting a riot.
Then, the album lets you rest for a little bit with a less shaky song, "after midnight", it seems that writing love songs is not over at all for this guys, who said that love couldn't turn punk? ;).
So on, the record song list is followed by "snake charmer"which is somewhere between a very quick pinky song and a quite chill song, like if you had to place a song before "I miss you" and "first date". With "after midnight" and the "snake charmer", the album seems to let you prepare for the big end of the album, though there are still 9 songs left. This second part of the album where it turns very "blink" starts with a very soft interlude to introduce the very blink anthem of the album, "hearts all gone", its fast, its punk rock and its pure blink 182!.
After that, "wishing well" follows the list , i have to say that i love this song mainly for the way a "da da dada dada dada" can be so funny and cool sang by the marvelous Tom Delongue.
And later on, we find kaleidoscope, which has an incredible intro by Travis which still blows my mind 'til the point it makes m want to buy a drum set and play the drums, seriously, this song is a very good one.
Followed by kaleidoscope we find "This is home" which seems to be a declaration made by Delongue answering all the people who said that he was over and couldn't go any further, in a few words, a big f**k you!.
And not forgetting the rest of the band members, Mark has also his solo song for showing off his skills, its called "Mh.4.18.2011", it is a very Hoppus song, good old pop punk for the blinkers!.
The next 2 songs in my opinion are very AVA(angels and airwaves) and its sound are quiet electronic and less blink than the others, I'm talking about "love is dangerous" and "fighting the gravity". And finally, to end the fantastic record, we have "even if she falls",this one is in the mood of snake charmer, not very fast but not so slow, i really like it, Tom sings really good in this hone and Mark doing all the backup vocals, i think its a very good choice for ending an incredible album that has placed them in the top charts.
To sum up i just would like to thank Blink 182 to give us the fans a masterpiece like this. Time passes by and if you don't adapt yourself to the changes of things you get stuck in routine, and i think this is the step that has guided the band to this new direction.For those fans who say that this album is not very good and it is the end of the band i would suggest you to listen to the record a couple of times, i have to admit that is not a record that you are gonna like instantly but after listening to it for a few times, you can notice the music aspect of the songs that make this record one of the best releases of the year.
To end the post, i leave you here the show the band filmed in Las Vegas, they play a few songs of the album and it is a veryood performance.
Hope you like it.
@Nachorock
