It cannot all be Black Flag and Minor Threat. Otherwise i might end up curb-stomping the guy in the express line in front of me with twenty seven items. We are complex creatures, with many emotions and need many styles in our musical libraries. Sometimes i really need the up-beat undertones and tempo of California punk.
i have thoroughly enjoyed Blink 182 for some time now, ever since seeing them in their earlier days when they opened up for Primus. Just a few days in i am really having a good time with their new album "Neighborhoods". Instantly i can hear track influences sounding much more reminiscent of Boxcar Racer and Angels & Airwaves (two bands i like even more than Blink). There are greater variations in tempo and expanded use of synth sounds. This should come as no surprise however, as when you listen through their albums in order this has clearly been the direction they have been heading in. And this is a good thing.
Too often, especially within the punk genre, bands seem to get stuck in a position where they seem to be making the same album over and over again where you could put their catalog on shuffle and have difficulty telling songs from one album to the next. This is clearly not the case with Blink. Ever since the addition of Travis (indisputably the best drummer from the punk genre and arguably one of the top drummers overall in any sound) the musical skill set has been improving within the band. Although their music is still easily accessible for any teenager, their evolving sound and pushing of themselves has kept it fun and interesting for those of us aging along with them. i am sure they can still sing about Mother's Day but there are also increasingly mature moments in their music now.
"Heart's All Gone" is very reminiscent of older Blink 182 material if that is what you are looking for but the initial stand outs for me are "Snake Charmer", the very AVA sounding "Ghost On The Dance Floor", and of course their first single a very Boxcar sounding "Up All Night". The members' time away on other projects has definitely added to the evolution of the sound of Blink 182. Making it all the better in my opinion. If this is their last album it would make a fittingly strong finally for a band that has brought a lot of musical joy to me. If not, i look forward to seeing how they will push their sound in the future.
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