Rating:
The wait is finally over. Yes, the wait for Blink-182′s new album, Neighborhoods, is officially over. Yes, I am being as serious as I possibly can! It has been nearly over eight years since the popular punk rock band have released just about anything. Blink-182 is a trio punk-rock band made of Thomas Matthew DeLonge on vocals and guitars, Mark Hoppus on vocals and bass, and Travis Barker on drums. The band was formed back in 1992 from Poway, California. Back in 2003, the band announced an indefinite hiatus to spend more time with their families. With the hiatus, other bands such as +44 and Angels and Airwaves were formed. In 2009, right after the plane crash that Travis Barker was in, Blink-182 reunited with the announcement at the Grammy Awards, stating that, “we used to play music together, and we decided we’re going to play music together again”, with Mark Hoppus adding, “Blink-182 is back!” Expanding on the announcement on their website, the band stated “To put it simply, We’re back. We mean, really back. Picking up where we left off and then some. In the studio writing and recording a new album. Preparing to tour the world yet again. Friendships reformed.” The trio have toured North America as a reunion tour.
With that being said, there was one concern of the band being back together that fans wondered. What will happen to Angels and Airwaves? Will there be a new album? Angels and Airwaves will remain a band and so will Blink. Mark Hoppus have revealed that they wish to release the album in May of 2011, but the record was delayed causing them to cancel their European tour which angered many fans overseas.
Because it has been eight years that I’ve waited for this new record, I was beginning to lose my mind. Being a fan for over fifteen years of my life caused me to slowly go insane until the band released their first single, ‘Up All Night.’
‘Up All Night‘ brought many reactions to the fan base of Blink-182. Reactions where it was they were either confused to the new sound especially when it does sound a lot like a mix combination of Angels and Airwaves with Blink-182. So really, in my opinion many liked it as it is new to them, but many dislike it because they preferred the old sound of Blink-182 than the space-rock style of Angels and Airwaves. With lyrics like, Everyone lies and cheats their wants and needs and still believes their heart. And Everyone gets the chills, the kind that kills when the pain begins to start. It seriously gives me the chills of listening to them. I can’t tell you how happy I was, it was in pure excitement that I was probably freaking out hysterically with tears flowing through my face. What does the track mean? Simple, stay up all night and just live freely with no worries.
In hope to feed the hungry fans who desired the old sound of Blink-182, the trio released another song to stream entitled, ‘Hearts All Gone,’ that also had a interlude for the track. ‘Hearts All Gone,’ had the sound where everyone recognized as the one and only Blink-182. In the song as you listen, it’s sung by Hoppus and to me it generally speaks of his love for the music industry, and how his heart feels as if it’s gone with the following lyrics:
Blackjack and architect
Let’s drink ourselves to death
The crimes of everyone
Passed down from father to son
Hopeless and destitute
Destroyed my gratitude
Your strongest lines of defense
Are all just self-inflicted wounds.
Listening to the first actual track of Neighborhoods, I at first thought it was ‘Epic Holidays’ from Angels and Airwaves as a mix with Blink-182. The track, ‘Ghost On The Dance Floor,’ is absolutely fantastic. The love for a mother, is what the song sounds like. If you listen to the first verse then blends to the next:
So tell me that you’re a good boy
He says even if she knows
Your thoughts are very kind
My meaning quite too low
It’s like you don’t suspect me
Now not a place to go
I’ll play the music quiet
To watch the movie glow
And our song slowly started
It Never felt so real
First against my will
Till God takes a chill
To the end:
I Saw your ghost tonight
It fucking hurt right now.
I felt you here tonight
In my dreams can it be real?
You can think of it as if it was him wishing that death had never taken the life of the woman. The “Ghost on the Dance Floor” was his mother, which is what the track sounds like. Hey, I can be wrong. Haha.
Let’s talk about one more track and close off on this review. ‘Kaleidoscope,’ was the first official song that would have been released as the first single, but for whatever reason it became the first song lyrics that was released instead. This was also a huge hit bringing fans hope that they should be expecting a new album. However, what we saw as the fans at the time, was the original set of lyrics which was changed. ‘Kaleidoscope’ was still a great track. I felt that it was about being on a long road of this career as Blink-182, from back in the days before they broke up, they wrote immature songs and with this new record, they have shown that they grew up.
Overall, this is probably one of the best record I’ve heard in my entire life. I spent countless days and nights skipping out on sleep just to listen to this record. I highly recommend that you and your friends give it a chance. The whole sound with Angels and Airwaves does give you the chills. At least it did for me. Five out of five? That’s not even enough stars for me to give it. Stop sitting there my fellow music lovers, get off your chairs and pre-order the album as it will be available sooner than you believe!
Below is the official tracklisting for the deluxe album:
1. Ghost On The Dance Floor
2. Natives
3. Up All Night
4. After Midnight
5. Snake Charmer
6. Heart’s All Gone – Interlude
7. Heart’s All Gone
8. Wishing Well
9. Kaleidoscope
10. This is Home
11. MH 4.18.2011
12. Love Is Dangerous
13. Fighting The Gravity
14. Even If She Falls
