Album: Neighborhoods
Artist: Blink 182
Label: David Geffen Company
Release Date: Sept. 27
Grade: B+
The band that gripped adolescence of a generation with simple and funny songs, Blink 182 is finally back with a dose of melodic nostalgia. Neighborhoods, the sarcastic punkers' new album, is full of what Blink fans are used to.
And while Neighborhoods is a brand new, shiny set of songs that holds up pretty well compared to most of their older material, the first listen is a bit of a disappointment. Almost every song leans toward the melodramatic style of "Feeling This" and "Stay Together For The Kids," but after a couple rotations you may find it increasingly difficult to get them out of your head.
"Up All Night" exemplifies typical Blink form, featuring vocals from both Mark Hoppus and Tom Delonge. The next single, "After Midnight," mixes up the tempo with its driving drumbeat. The song would've been right at home on the band's self-titled 2003 album, and is primed for radio airplay.
Although Delonge sounds like he has something caught in his throat at times and is exceedingly whiny at others, leaving Hoppus to pick up the vocal slack, Blink 182 has aged pretty well.
Tracks like "This is Home" and "Ghosts On The Dance Floor" show that the band isn't done trying new things. Both interweave guitar, bass, and drums with a hefty amount of synthesizer. Thankfully, Blink 182 doesn't let the synth stray into cheesey-'80s territory and instead uses it well to disrupt the CD's monotonous tone.
Even if it doesn't have a chart-topper like "The Rock Show" or "Dammit," Neighborhoods will fit right in on your road trip playlist. It's good to have them back.
Email: arts@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Mhdariby / Wikimedia Commons
