Since their major-label breakout, "Dude Ranch," the members of Blink 182 have been the poster boys for pop-punk immaturity.
Their song topics range from masturbation, to groupie encounters, to prank calls. Both of their album titles have been not-so-subtle double entendres, like "Enema of the State" and "Take Off Your Pants and Jacket."
With their new release, a more mature Blink surfaces. The album is simply called "Blink 182." Gone are the songs like "What's My Age Again?" and "Dammit." What the trio from southern California has come up with is a solid album of great rock songs.
Their evolution can almost be compared to another west-coast pop-punk band, Green Day, which hit monster mainstream success with their cut, "Time of Our Lives." After that, Green Day released what many believe was its best album, "Warning," which was a more mature work.
Blink 182's maturity comes from each member's recent journey into fatherhood. The songs on this album are very diverse and borderline experimental.
Robert Smith of The Cure even sings on the track called "All of This." This is probably the first and last time Blink 182 and The Cure will ever be mentioned in the same sentence.
The band, made up of lead singer Mark Hoppus, guitarist and vocalist Tom Delonge and drummer Travis Barker, bought a house in southern California and turned it into a studio. They used their new studio to play with the tracks and make them seem more low-fi while keeping it truly hi-fi. The dichotomy works.
Stand-out tracks include the first single, "Feeling This," as well as "I Miss You," "Here's Your Letter" and "Violence."
In fact, there really isn't a drop in the level of musicianship. Barker's drumming has come a long way since 1997's "Dude Ranch," and all three members are just better musicians. The lyrics, while still cutting edge, are not best kept in the bathroom, as in the past.
In the liner notes of the album, each member of the band writes a little snippet about the evolution of the songs. It's a nice insight to the process of writing and recording.
All in all, this mature Blink is a welcome change. This album may alienate the high school kids who are used to the potty lyrics, but Blink 182 has stepped into the adult world with a bang. To take a line from their song "Dammit," I guess this is growing up.
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