For most of today’s youth, Blink-182 is a band that has been overlooked under the pretence of it being “before our time.” When I was a tween I used to idolize my older cousins for their “cool” taste in music; Sum 41 was also a favourite. These days, the band might just be earning a second glance. Despite the end of the late 1990s-early 2000s punk music explosion, Blink-182, one of the most iconic punk rock/pop punk bands of its era, has made a comeback.
Neighborhoods is a fresh attempt from the band after eight years without releasing new material. Blink-182 had been on an “indefinite hiatus” for years due to tension and conflict between its members, but it seems to have finally come together again. Fans might have been anxious about how the new album would fare, considering how long the band has been absent from the music scene. Mostly, the outlook is positive. The album still has the classically energetic and gritty punk sounds, the kind that make you want to blare your speakers, that originally made the band so popular. In other ways, the band’s sound has evolved to include some newer, slower and more darkly seductive styles. Each song is catchy in its own right and achieves an appeal that might come close to being defined as universal.
I was pleased to see how the band had evolved and matured since its last album; early Blink-182 works were overpoweringly cheeky and teenage. It seems that the band has finally come of age, slipping into a more polished and sophisticated sound that comes from years of experience in a rawer form. Overall the album feels complete, professional, modern and rather irresistible.
One of the few complaints that can be made is that while the songs fit seamlessly together to form the album, they initially all tend to sound the same. Of course, this goes with most artists; until you listen to the album in its entirety a few times, the tracks seem to blend together, lacking individual identity. However, as I became more familiar with Neighborhoods, standout songs began to appear: “Ghost on the Dancefloor,” “Up All Night” and “Love is Dangerous” all effortlessly stole my attention. The band also has such a distinctive sound that the album can be a bit tiresome to listen to on repeat, but that just enables the listener to savour the songs.
Considering all aspects, Neighborhoods might just be the band’s best album yet; the tracks are rather stellar, as long as they are heard with an open mind. If you’ve never given Blink-182 the time of day before, I strongly suggest that you do now; it is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea, but of all of Blink’s albums, Neighborhoods is definitely the slickest and most aesthetic.
*Neighborhoods does contain explicit lyrics, but clean versions of the album are available in hard-copy and on iTunes.