Everyone knows Blink 182, but not quite like this. California is Blink 182's brand new album, which just came out on July 1 of this year. It is the first album the band has released with their brand new vocalist and guitarist, Matt Skiba. Because of this, it is also their first without Tom Delonge, who everyone knows very well. Blink fans clearly had their curiosities very high, and had them met with something great. The album hit number one on three different US charts, one of which being the Billboard 200, and had it hit number one in Scotland, the Czech Republic, and Canada. It also broke the top fifty in fifteen other countries! This was definitely a big deal. Now, many of you are going to be upset with what I'm about to say, but I have to say it anyways. Minus a few songs here and there, I've never liked Blink 182. I've always enjoyed the lyrics, whether they were deep and meaningful, or fun and silly, and I've always appreciated what they've done for music. They've inspired so many bands to start creating music, and made millions of people happy all over the world. So, whether or not you're a fan, you have to appreciate it. The thing that stopped me from getting into them though, honestly, was Tom Delonge's voice. Again,please contain the disgust and shock. I just never got into it, and thought he seemed slightly....dull in vocal range. I see his appeal, its the more classic pop rock/ pop punk/ whatever you want to call them style, but its never been my cup of tea. But because of that. as soon as I heard Tom was gone and Matt was in, I got instantly curious and had to hear this album. They released the first single, "Bored To Death" on April 27, and it has the classic Blink 182 feel they've always had, but I feel like I really felt the meaning. Its about getting stuck in a rut and feeling bored with life. I like the song, but it took me about half the song to decide I did like it. At first, I sort of felt like I was questioning why I was bothering, but then it picked up and got really good. I don't know if I just suddenly hear the meaning, or what, but I did like the song. So it was a good start to listening to the rest of the album. Honestly though, they picked a couple of the worst songs as the singles. I honestly never thought I would see the day where I would relate to Blink-182 lyrics like this, but that day has come. Two tracks spoke to me, both for similar yet totally different reasons. Those tracks were, "Los Angeles" and "No Future." Both of those songs, if you ask me are among their best work. This whole album is actually, but these two in particular really stood out. "Los Angeles" got my attention almost instantly and the fact that it seems to be wanting a fresh start in a new place. That may not be the intended meaning, but that's what I got from it. Its catchy, its fun and its meaningful, what's not to love? As for "No Future", its one of those songs that hits any dedicated dreamer right in the heart. When you work really hard on something, sometimes you start feeling like you're working for absolutely nothing. Nobody seems to care, because nobody sees the hours upon hours of time you put into something, they only see the end result. They don't feel the disappointment when something you busted your ass for falls through, or the excitement when it works. It feels like nobody cares and you have no future. "Let the music seal your fate. Yeah, you can run but life won't wait. Yeah, they don't care about you (No future)." I've said it before, and I will say it again, and probably a thousand times more. There's more to life than just to live, and this song made me very happy because it said everything I think from time to time. So, I can't believe I'm saying this, since this is the first full album from Blink I've ever liked fully, but this is an incredible album. Kudos, guys! You've always been very successful, but I see you only rising more from here. If you haven't heard it yet, please listen to it. Especially if you're like and previously was not a fan of Blink-182, you may be really surprised. I definitely was. You can get it on iTunes, Amazon, Blink's official website, or wherever music is sold in stores. I also recommend checking out their website to see all of their tour dates. They're currently on tour with All Time Low, A Day To Remember and All American Rejects! So go check out the dates, and get excited because Blink is back, and arguably better than ever.
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InformationAll reviews have the date they were written, the album title, and the band's name, with the exception of Life Starts Now by Three Days Grace and Dear Agony by Breaking Benjamin. Those dates were guessed at, as they were written well before the website began. Archives
February 2022
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