One of the biggest bands in pop punk is back…..
…….but this time with a slight twist in the line-up. For those of you who weren’t on the internet at all during 2015, Tom DeLonge was pretty much kicked out of Blink 182 and he is currently being replaced by Matt Skiba (frontman for Alkaline Trio). Now with Tom DeLonge on the sidelines, I can see why some people might be anxious about this new album and even angry that Blink 182 would go on without the famous UFO enthusiast. Let me assure you that DeLonge was not the only person that made Blink 182 what they are today (a band that knows how to put out a good tune) and this album proves it over and over again.
California will get all of the old Blink fans feeling nostalgic for earlier days with some recycled riffs and ridiculous songs such as ‘We Built This Pool’ and ‘Brohemian Rhapsody.’ Some people might not like the rehashed riffs and sounds, which is understandable, but I can see why this kind of album needed to be written in the first place. With a lot of people saying that Blink wasn’t Blink without Tom, I guess Mark wanted to show them that they’re wrong. Even with the recycled riffs and familiar sounds, you can’t deny that California is a great time. You’ll be singing along with the lyrics in no time, jumping like a madman whether you’re seeing them live or you’re listening to them in the car (on a side note, please don’t jump around like a madman while you’re in a car). I feel like Travis Barker always brings his best and California is no exception. Just the first song, ‘Cynical’ sees Travis going crazy with those sticks and it only goes uphill from there.
Mark Hoppus and Matt Skiba are absolute beasts at the vocals, switching seamlessly and taking turns for different verses and choruses and it sounds great. It almost sounds like they’ve been playing together for years and they’ve only just now created an album together. They don’t harmonize too much in the album, however, which is kinda different from the dynamic between Mark and Tom. I also believe that Matt’s influence on the album was a little lacking. I know he writes darker songs in general and he’s really only stepping in for now, but I feel like he could have helped push the band in new directions.
That’s probably the worst part of the album. It feels like the band is staying in the same place. I know I said just earlier that I understand why they re-hashed some riffs and sounds, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t wish they would experiment a bit more in the genre. There are a few songs that sound more progressive than others such as ‘Los Angeles’ and ‘Home is Such A Lonely Place’ but overall, this album is classic Blink. Some might not like it and some others might. All in all, California finds a comfortable middle for the band with plenty of room to grow.
The Verdict………….4.0 out of 5
- Great vocals
- Some amazing drumming from Travis Barker
- Re-hashed sounds and riffs
- A whole lot of fun
But enough about what I think! What did you guys think about the album? Do you guys hope to see Matt Skiba become a full-time member of Blink or would you like to see the return of Tom? Leave a comment and let me know what you think! Thank you very much for giving this review a read and please like and share this if you liked it. Have a great day!
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