“Neighborhoods,” the newest album from Blink-182, is a true reflection of all that the band members have experienced and matured from since their breakup in 2005.
Fans will notice that the album has all of the important aspects of the band they’ve grown to love before, but the album is very different from past ones, with darker lyrics and more mellow instrumentation.
These darker lyrics and mature sound are understandable given the obstacles the band had to go through. For years, the members wouldn’t even speak to each other, but when drummer Travis Barker survived a deadly plane crash in 2008, they knew it was time to leave their problems in the past and reunite the band that brought them together in the first place.
This isn’t an album about 23-year-old guys nobody likes, this is an album that reflects the men that Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge and Barker have matured into.
The very first track, “Ghost on the Dance Floor,” could easily be about the loss of longtime producer Jerry Finn and close friend Adam Goldstein (also known as DJ AM), as it is about hearing a song that reminds you of someone who’s passed.
There are a few times in the album when you wonder if you’re listening to Angels and Airwaves or +44, especially on tracks “Natives” and “Love is Dangerous,” but fans shouldn’t worry, there’s still enough of that classic Blink sound that balances out the influence from the member’s side projects.
The first single off the album, “Up All Night,” sounds like it could have easily been left on the cutting room floor of the last album, while “Wishing Well” has riffs so familiar you could swear you’ve heard the song many times before.
“This is Home” and “After Midnight” show a very nostalgic side to the album, the lyrics reminiscent of their days as a much younger band, perfect for those nights you’re cruising around with your friends, drumming on the steering wheel.
There’s a lot of throwback to the old, but “Heart’s All Gone” and “MH 4.18.2011” are examples of the newer sound that shows how the members have only gotten better with age.
Eight years in the making, and after all of the “will they, won’t they,” there’s no doubt fans will think it was well worth the wait. Blink-182 said it best themselves in the track “Kaleidoscope”:
“It’s a long road to get it right.”