Blink-182 is back in the Neighborhoods

By Mike Shames
[senior entertainment writer]

5/5 records

Blink-182’s self-titled fifth album was a marked departure from Blink’s easy going and lighthearted sound. It wasn’t the first shift in style – think back to Enema of the State – but the darker tone put a few fans off. It was still essentially Blink-182, but it sounded more mature. This is the case with Neighborhoods, a more mature sound and still a dark tone.

The opening tracks are fast, energetic and extremely catchy. They barely let you down, until the sixth song interlude. The energy and passion don’t dissipate with the later tracks. The slow songs are filled with romance, though only slightly more than the fast paced ones. The darkness is in the lyrics, dealing with everything from the death of a friend, to isolation and, of course, relationship problems. It still has upbeat music to soften the harsh reality of the lyrics, so it is possible to jam to it without getting bogged down in the depressing nature.

But it’s that tone which really makes the album. These are not some angsty teen or post-teen songs, they are dealing with events that happen in life, like death, loneliness and break down of friendships. In a way this is a reflection of the bands own growth and maturity.

The farther progression towards dark and maturity as well as the mixing of each band members side projects might make some older fans nostalgic for their early stuff, and others will hate this album.  But it may draw a new generation of fans, much like Green Day’s American Idiot did for that band. A band has to change or they fall into obscurity. Blink-182 has always kept it’s essential “blink-ness” and can change things up to remain fresh. This album sounds like the natural growth of the band and still be Blink. Also, get the deluxe album – the additional songs are definitely worth a listen. The miracle has happened, Blink-182 is back, and hopefully, to stay.