Blink-182 – ‘California’ [Review]
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Practically every pop-punk band on the planet wish they were Blink-182. Since hitting the big time way back in 1999 with Enema Of The State, Mark Hoppus, Tom Delonge, and Travis Barker have rarely been far from the limelight whether together, or working in a wide assortment of solo projects. More recently, Alkaline trio guitarist/vocalist Matt Skiba replaced Delonge following the most recent in a series of internal spats – and California, its title paying tribute to Blink-182’s home state, is the band’s seventh studio album, their first since 2011’s Neighborhoods.
Neighborhoods itself was met with a mixed reception – and while follow-up EP Dogs Eating Dogs fared slightly better, Blink-182’s future has been the subject of heated debate ever since. The pressure has been cranked up, anticipation is at fever pitch, and it is officially make or break time as of today.
The big question: Is California worth the wait, the worry, the anxiety?
The big answer: Yep.
California’s first song, Cynical, more or less defines this entire album. Dark, moody, and bleak, Cynical also boasts a sharper edge than Blink-182 fans may have been used to to date. Travis Barker’s snare cracks cathartically while Skiba’s dual-instrumental contributions instantly prove a perfect fit. It’s immediately clear, on record no less, that Matt Skiba’s recruitment is far more than a headline grabber; it’s an incisive creative and artistic decision.
Up until California, I wasn’t the biggest Blink-182 fan. While I inevitably loved some of their songs – and Box Car Racer and Angels And Airwaves were both great solo projects – listening to an entire Blink album and loving every second isn’t something I’d managed in the past. California has bucked that trend – and I’ve no doubt that many of my fellow Blink-182 fence sitters will be toppled in the right direction by this long-player.
On to Bored To Death – the Number One single that’s gotten the world hyped for California. Popularity doesn’t necessarily equal quality, but Bored To Death deserves to sit at the top of the tree. It’s a stunning tune, seeing Blink make the most of all the studio has to offer from tasteful effects to dramatic piano layers.
No pop-punk album is complete without a song about a girl – and She’s Out Of Her Mind is great enough to make you forget how many songs just like it have been written before. With songs like this, emotional impact is everything, and Mark and Matt’s vocals blend flawlessly, serving a track that hits hard. This is the sound of a band of veterans just winning.
In recent years, some of the world’s top pop-punk bands have all but dropped the “punk” label altogether, embracing the trendiest sounds and alienating long-time fans in the process. On Los Angeles, Blink-182 embrace modern pop influences without losing their edge. This track is an easy highlight, and sure to inspire plenty of arena-wide singalongs in the future.
Sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll rules apply to pop-punk too, and Sober mixes relationship commentary with observations about alcoholism to great effect. Next up, seventeen-second song Built This Pool fills the obligatory joke-song spot (as does thirty-second album closer Brohemian Rhapsody). No Future, meanwhile, doubles as a broken-relationship narrative and a potential political track; main hook “They don’t care about you (No Future)” is sure to hit a mark with disenfranchised young activists in the UK, most of whom voted on the losing side in the recent referendum on Britain’s future in the EU.
Gut-wrenching ballads are something Blink-182 fans have gotten increasingly used to over time, so Home Is Such A Lonely Place is likely to be appreciated for what it is – another brilliant studio track – rather than dismissed with lines along the lines of “…that’s not punk,” and so on. With California dropping on a Friday, Kings Of The Weekend is guaranteed to soundtrack thousands of parties over the next couple of days; Teenage Satellites and Left Alone turn nostalgic; Rabbit Hole addresses multiple mental health issues with disarming metaphors; San Diego mixes more nostalgia with a distinctly melancholic mood; and frenetic love song The Only Thing That Matters and soothing pop tribute tune California bring this album to the conclusion of its serious section.
If this album has a weak spot, it’s only final joke song Brohemian Rhapsody. It is only thirty seconds, though. Personally, I’d say that one throwaway track was enough – but it’s no big issue to cut Brohemian Rhapsody off your playlist and listen to total silence after California (the song) thunders into the distance.
Overall, if you wanted to call California a comeback album, I wouldn’t argue with you. Blink-182 have hit a new high, and given all that they’ve been through to get to this point, they absolutely fucking deserve it.
TMMP RATING: 96% (Essential Listening!)
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