It’s judgement day for Blink 182. Would this finally be the album that will stop my infatuation with the pop punk teen power house dead in its tracks? After Neighbourhood, which was my least favourite album, I’m expecting the band to go back to what made them so popular in the 90s, with those classic power chords and upbeat tempo. Would Tom DeLonge’s unceremonious departure become the band’s undoing? And what of new singer Matt Skiba from Alkaline Trio, can he take the band forward?
California was originally released back in July 2016, but after hearing a deluxe version would be released, I thought I’d better hold off on my judgement on this new trio till then. Blink 182, now releasing music without one of it’s key founders Tom DeLonge – and who was present on all six previous releases – is one of those bands which shaped my teenager years. Gone is that familiar Californian, almost teenage like vocals, and in comes the voice of Skiba. Immediately you can hear that Skiba is a singer with a bit of angst and a gritty undertone to his voice. But did it work with such a shift in tone? You bet it did.
The album kicks off with “Cynical”. Oh and what’s that? It’s that familiar Mark Hoppus voice over a simple bass guitar beat. The problem is this song feels a bit slow… at least for about 28 seconds! Then bam. Like a freight train here comes Travis Barker and that familiar upbeat happy sounding Blink 182 sound I’ve loved for over 20 years. It’s a perfect drumbeat to introduce the new album – just classic Blink. We get introduced to Skiba early on and as the album goes on he will play an ever more prominent part of the album.
“She’s out of her mind” is the next track that jumps out to me – somewhat akin to the classic “What’s My Age Again” from the “Enema of the State” 1999 release. The start begins with a similar vibe with Hoppus leading alongside a smooth sounding high pitched backing guitar riff. We can instantly tell when the chorus will kick in, Barker leads us there with a crescendo on drums. Skiba takes over for the chorus and it all gels superbly together. “She’s Out Of Her Mind” will be the track that everyone remembers on this album. Even if it’s just for the music video, which you definitely need to check out. It’s a take on the classic “What’s My Age Again” video, with the roles reversed.
Next up Matt Skiba takes inspiration from Los Angeles. It’s a little darker and some guitar riffs here sound like something Alkaline Trio would offer. It’s a decent tune but perhaps not “Blink” enough for me. “Built This Pool” reintroduces a little snippet of that old school Blink 182 humour, although very briefly as it’s only 16 seconds long. I want more please! The album takes a turn and the next few tracks bring us a bit of pop punk prowess. It’s power chord time. Throw in fast paced drum action all whilst singing about their teenage years, before arriving at “San Diego” which is one of my personal favourites from the album.
It encompasses everything I’d thought the marriage between the two Blink greats and their Alkaline Trio counterpart would sound like. There’s a slow intro that builds up into a classic chorus. It’s basically Blink 182 with an edge. This track just seems to work. We get to the breakdown and the lyrics get deeper, (again Matt Skiba’s input, of that I have no doubt.) It’s a catchy tune and sets us up for the final few tracks before we enter the “Deluxe” section of the album.
Released in March 2017, “Parking Lot” was the first track to be released and it’s an instant classic. Overall the deluxe edition adds another 12 tracks. There’s that teenage rebellion quality we’ve become accustomed to, and it’s definitely the most upbeat track I’ve heard on the album. It wouldn’t sound out of place on their 1997 album “Dude Ranch”. Travis Barkers drumming sets the tone for the whole track and I couldn’t be happier with it.
We now go into a bit of a different direction with lyrics about “not needing anyone” and “heavy burdens” with the song “Misery”. It feels somewhat sombre. Again this has Skiba’s input all over it. It’s good. Just not quite Blink. However with the frenetic track “I Can’t Get You More pregnant” lasting just over half a minute Blink don’t forget where they’ve come from. Thats’s more like it!
A surprise for me when I noticed something I haven’t heard before on a Blink 182 album. It’s a live acoustic version of “Bored to Death,” one of the songs from the original part of the album. This is new and unexpected from Blink…unless this is taken from an Alkaline Trio album of course. For those listeners who are set in their ways and love Blink 182’s early music, they will feel a bit underwhelmed by this track.
As I play all 28 tracks the main feeling it gives me is a sense of coming home. Lyrics based on places like California, San Diego and Los Angeles take you round a roadmap of the band’s previous recordings, and is totally reminiscent of their roots, conjuring up images of the early days in DeLonge’s garage in Poway, California.
Other snippets include “Last Train Home” which is a perfect tribute to the overall theme of the album. The only constant I really enjoy is Travis Barker and those ferocious drum solos. Every time he hits that drum kit, it excites me and takes me back a good 15 years! In my opinion, it’s a good album without being great, and although it’s not the 90’s anymore, fans will be happy to hear there’s life after Tom DeLonge. It’s all here in “California”. If you want to test out the album on our range of hi-fi then come along to a Richer Sounds store and experience Blink 182’s awesome new album in our demo room for yourself!
Author: Bradley, Plymouth store.
