Dude!! Aren't they that band that got naked in that video?
Yep.
And they've grown up.
What can be said about the world's premier brat-punk trio's latest CD? Nothing if not that it's a great leap forward into the unchartered waters of musical and lyrical maturity. Not a single fart or sex joke to be found on the entire record. Amazed yet?
No?
Keep reading.
The album starts off with "Feeling This" - an ode to sexual frustration and awkwardness. It's got infectious melodies, inventive drumbeats (not to mention *insane* fills), and fairly stellar four-part harmonies towards the end. The next track is "Obvious," which is a dark and heavy rock number that seems to deal with betrayal in the most up-front and angry way. Track three brings us to "I Miss You," which is a masterpiece in and of itself, with poetic lyrics, a string section, a pained chorus, and a pulsing drumbeat. The album carries on in a similar fashion, reaching other heights such as the frenzied "Stockholm Syndrome," the intensely personal "Go" or the light, pop-infused love song "Always". For all of the praises, though, there are a few heavy-handed moments on the album. "All Of This," featuring Robert Smith of the Cure, comes off as pretty indulgent. The album would function without it - Smith's droned, melodramatic vocals don't lend themselves incredibly well to the hooks and melodies that the Blink lads are capable of.
Okay, to sum it up - this album is great. It shows off staggering amounts of musical growth, has great songs, and did i mention that there are no locker room jokes in it anywhere? The dark feel of the record may not be for everyone, but with a few listens, even the most devout addict of sunny pop would be won over by this great body of work. Props to the guys of Blink 182.
By: J. Alexander Vance
