Filed under: Music | Tags: blink 182, geffen, mark, Music, neighborhoods, reviews, tom, travis
Track 14. “I’m Lost With You.” It’s 2003 and I’m wrapping up my first full listen through of blink-182′s untitled record. I’m sitting in my room, at my desk, on a brisk fall day soaking up every power-hungry riff, every earth-shattering drum beat, every chord, note, and nuance. What’s my lingering thought? “God, I can’t wait for their next album.” Eight years later that desire has been met with blink’s biggest release, “Neighborhoods.” The 14 track deluxe edition has finally dropped and everyone is asking, “Was it worth the wait?”
That’s the issue with expectations. They can ruin even the best of things. Were movies like “Avatar” and “The Hurt Locker” really all that bad? Or were my expectations just far too high thanks to all the Oscar buzz? (No, the Hurt Locker actually did suck.) Think back to “American Idiot.” Be honest: it’s okay to admit that Green Day’s rock opera is actually pretty fucking stellar when you look past all of its radio, grocery store, doctor’s office, amusement park, and commercial airplay. When I heard blink’s first single, “Up All Night,” I was Mark, Tom, and Travis’ worst dissenter. Eight years of waiting did not add up to that first offering. Then when I heard “Hearts All Gone” I thought all was lost. My excitement for “Neighborhoods” was at a 0% rating and I could have really cared less. But my views changed rather drastically when I heard the third leaked song, “After Midnight.” The anthemic, atmospheric jam feels romantic and heavy and my satiation for it couldn’t be tamed. Then the entire album leaked and grimey YouTube rips revealed an album full of pulse pounding beats lead by crunchy guitars and liquid cool vocals. My anticipation had grown.
Now having listened to the album over three times through, I can assuredly say that “Neighborhoods” is truly a prize gem. Was it worth waiting eight years for? I’m not terribly certain. Who could ever make an album so monumental so as to live up to almost a decade’s worth of anxiousness? But what I do know is that I can’t stop playing Mark and Tom’s melodies in my head and every second I’m not listening to the new album, I’m entirely wishing I were.
The record opens up with “Ghost on the Dancefloor.” If you’re not sold right away with this, just stop listening all together. You’ve wasted your money. A four on the floor drum beat propels a staccato guitar riff that’s driven by a magnetic rhythm bass groove. The combination is thrilling; in a word it sounds like pure energy. And when Mark and Tom reach the chorus and sing together, it sounds simply sublime. Chills might just run down your spine, as they did mine. From there, the mix is rather eclectic. Each song seems to stand on its own. However, they take time to sink in. Track 5, “Snake Charmer” didn’t strike me as anything special until the chorus popped up. And what sold me even harder was the ethereal bridge with Tom singing in his patented Angels and Airwaves-like “Oohs.” Really all I’m saying is, don’t judge the album too quickly. It will assuredly surprise you.
Nevertheless, there are some low points. How “This Is Home” became the last track is beyond me and “Kaleidoscope” could probably be trashed. And should you purchase the deluxe edition, “Fighting the Gravity” is one of the dumbest songs I’ve ever heard… period. Having not worked with a producer for this record, you can tell blink could have used some direction. But whatever. Mark, Tom, and Travis have been in the business long enough to pretty much blaze their own way rather efficiently. I can appreciate a record that came out purely from a place of love and genuine creativity.
The single sentence thought I have about “Neighborhoods” is that I love it. Melodies were clearly meticulously thought out and the desire to infuse all three members’ musical backgrounds is wildly apparent; the effort makes for a very memorable, unique record unlike anything else being released these days. But despite enjoying the new record as much as I am, it still feels a bit disjointed. Admitting that “Natives” and “Wishing Well” are some of the best blink songs I’ve ever heard feels a bit weird– weird in the sense that back when blink were the pop punk kings of the world, they felt more like a band. When the trio got weird on us with odd pop hits like “Feeling This,” the freshness felt genuine and out of a place that had grown organically. “Neighborhoods,” however, feels admittedly forced, like the product of three friends, after years of being apart, saying, “Let’s make a record for fun.” Nevertheless, if this is what they can accomplish as a minor experiment, I would be overjoyed to hear what the guys can achieve once they’re back in the swing of things, truly gelling like the family they once were.
In the coming weeks I’m sure we’ll all hear whether or not blink’s new album was “worth the wait.” After listening to it a handful of times already, I’m just wondering if and when blink will be the kings of rock.
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