Blink 182 "blink 182" (Interscope) Alternative Rock
I've got to admit, "I'm feelin' this."
It's often easy to write off bands. They often come in with promising mainstream debuts, only to fade into sophomore slumps, money pits and the inevitable secession to fate. Somewhere in the midst of money and corruption, the spark flickers out. It happens to many bands, from Guns 'N' Roses' "Lies" to A Flock Of Seagulls' "Listen."
However, the inferiority of the second album can be forgiven if it sells well, demonstrating the band's continued popularity; it's what happens a few albums later. For example, "Lies" sold well and "Use Your Illusion I & II" proved that Guns 'N' Roses wasn't a one-hit wonder like A Flock of Seagulls.
For Blink 182, "Dude Ranch" proved to be a huge mainstream success, and the same can be said for "Enema of the State," though it was nowhere near as memorable. With the release of its fifth full-length, "blink 182," the sultans of SoCal pop-punk have crafted a true testament to music, something unthinkable during any previous point of the band's career.
Tearing shreds off the sheet music of everyone from The Cure to Led Zeppelin to any number of dub artists, Blink 182 takes punk to another level, similar to what the Transplants did yet totally different at the same time. Instead of veering into rap, these boys straddle the line of pop-punk and edgy new wave with lyrics that could have easily poured from Morrisey's wrists.
The album's potential is only fully realized on the second side, with songs like "Always," a textured array of synthesized bass and chorus-laden vocals that floats on the clouds. However, the biggest surprise, aside from the new musical maturity, is the cameo Robert Smith of The Cure has on "All Of This."
With "blink 182," members Travis Barker, Mark Hoppus and Tom Delonge prove that they have more in their collective arsenal then dick and fart jokes, and they do it with style - proving in the end that they're not just another pop-punk band.
