Following experiences with death and a long period without Tom DeLonge, the reformed three seem content enough to be having fun once more.
It has now taken two near-death situations for the members of Blink-182 to mend their relationships. After Travis Barker barely survived an aircraft crash in which he was burned over two thirds of his body, the band decided to take a break in 2008. However, after seven years and two erratic albums (2011's "Neighborhoods" and 2012's "Dogs Eating Dogs"), the friction had returned.
Tom DeLonge left the band again in 2015, but he insisted he had one foot in it ("Never planned on quitting, just find it hard as hell to commit," was his line). Following some legal back and forth, Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio took over as the band's vacant singer-guitarist for the angst-tinged "California" (2016) and the experimental whirlwind "Nine" (2019). Subsequently, the Mark, Tom, and Travis Show abruptly resumed when vocalist-bassist Mark Hoppus received a stage 4 lymphoma diagnosis, raising the possibility of disaster once more. The response to a reunion tour has been overwhelming.
The trio seems to look regretfully at what led to their reunion on their first album together in over ten years. On the melancholy acoustic title track, Hoppus laments, "I wish they'd told us/It shouldn't take a sickness/Or airplanes falling from the sky," while DeLonge asks a heartbreaking question, "Do I have to die to make you miss me?" It represents the pinnacle of feeling on a sentimental record.
The sunny "When We Were Young" and the just-sweet-enough "Fell In Love," which is arguably Blink's most mature love song ever, are filled with lots of gooey nostalgia. "You Don't Know What You've Got" contrasts beautifully with the dread of "long weeks of impending doom/Stuck in life's waiting room" while Hoppus was battling cancer, and the song's joyful chorus exudes the spirit of seeing life through fresh eyes. They've somehow managed to capture the pure happiness this band feels when they're together in the same room and rediscovering the delight of hanging out together. It's generally endearing rather than corny.
When it comes to rediscovery, "One More Time" sonically represents a kind of full circle moment. Although Skiba's addition did contribute to Blink's sound taking on new and exciting paths, DeLonge's comeback also signals a maybe expected return to a pop-punk sound from the past. Some comebacks are more successful than others. For example, "Dance With Me" has a wonderfully catchy hook that goes, "Ole ole ole ole, yeah, we're doing it all night long." It's also funny enough to sound like a throwback to Blink's most well-known performance. Meanwhile, "Anthem Part 3" opens with a warm, fuzzy wall of guitar, pounding drums, and a genuine sense of victory.
The problem is that it might not be as varied as it could be. Even while the lightning-fast, rocket-fueled "More Than You Know" and the mellow, atmospheric "Childhood" offer pace variations, many of these tracks are only slightly different from one another. Some tunes, especially in the second half of the album, don't exactly beg to be remembered because the hooks aren't always as strong as they could be. This 17-track collection may actually have a lot shorter edit, which would be more fitting given the relative simplicity of Blink-182's output.
As the album comes to a close, DeLonge poses a query that many listeners will be wondering as they press play: "2023, who the fuck are we?" Three pals looking to cause some noise and having an absolute blast while doing it isn't all that different from who they have always been. It's not like they're revolutionizing pop punk, but this was probably never the intention. It's likely that all that the fans really want is for the original Blink to return, as they're still hilarious in 2023.
Details
- Release date: October 20, 2023
- Record label: Columbia Records
0 Comments