Neighborhoods (Deluxe Edition)

No escaping your fate

The Blink-182 musicians must believe in destiny now no matter what’re told by anybody else. After the band’s drummer Travis Barker survived a deadly plain crash that took place in South Carolina in 2008, something nobody had expected, and everybody had dreamed of happened. The participants of the worldwide known ensemble, who had gone a long way each after the breakup, followed a common inner voice as one and decided to bring Blink-182 back to life, which would be the best way to support their struggling friend. In most cases like that a reunion would mean nothing more than a short tour with the best-of set. One would be right to say that almost each of the band’s fans expected no more than that. Three years have passed since the announcement of the Blink-182 resurrection, and only now do we get a certificate to it. One of the best punk-rock acts ever has released the first album in eight years, Neighborhoods. It’s not a hits compilation, or a collection of remixes, but a usual full-length CD with new material.

Blink-182 darkest record

Might seem weird that despite the eight years distance, we still hold in memory the clear images of these guys, kind-hearted pranksters with tongues in cheeks and top songs for top mood. How great it would be if Blink-182 came back on Neighborhoods to their own old selves, but there are too many ‘but’s making it impossible. The very first track, the mystique Ghost On The Dance Floor, is quite enough for us to know that we are going to meet a different music from a different band. Although it’s still Tom DeLonge singing, there’s so much strain, unrest and sadness in his voice. Although these are the same riffs, the guitars are dipped down into thick fog of synthesizers. With the first sounds of Neighborhoods night arrives and it gets cold. Natives feature Mark Hoppus taking over the lead-vocals, but despite the lively tempo of the song, he does not look intended to seed optimism. It’s not a coincidence, but due to many reasons that so many tracks on Neighborhoods have so many references to death. The freezing and biting single Up All Night tells us of demons that chase away normal sleep, while v calls for everyone to get drunk to death. Although we at times hear genuine Blink-182 punk rock (and After Midnight is the best proof), there is no doubt that there lies a great abyss between this album and the rest of the band’s catalogue.

Now it’s a real reunion

In the second half of Neighborhoods, the musicians afford a couple of experiments. Wishing Well, and This Is Home put an accent on DeLonge’s singing, leaving the music our of limelight. The tracks that might sound as most punk-rock oriented, and thus close to old Blink-182 songs are the explosive Fighting The Gravity, and Even If She Falls. As a conclusion, those did want the band’s reunion as much as just to get another lot of music in their style, will like only parts of the new album. In the meantime, listeners with less radical views will find in Neighborhoods a great many surprises and even revelations. Many may think of the masters of atmospheric half-electronic rock Angels & Airwaves. On the other hand, that would be illogic to expect the band to copy entirely the old manner. In these eight years, the musicians have experienced a lot, matured, and tried some other genres. To that sort of Blink-182 fans who did require them to return strictly to their roots, Neighborhoods would be an excellent stylish work. Blink-182 are not just back to be here. They are here to bring a lot more fun with their music.