Review of Blink 182’s new album California
Remember that new album from Blink 182 that was hinted at earlier this summer? Well, California, the new 16-track album from Blink 182, dropped on July 1st, and it’s unfortunately far from revolutionary. The new lineup, which sees Tom Delonge replaced by Alakaline Trio’s Matt Skiba on lead guitar – Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker on bass and drums still – is really missing that almost-grating high pitch that Tom brought to the trio. What was hoped to be a return to their pop-punk pedestal is instead a rehash of teenage rowdiness, aging angst and nostalgia, and an I’m-too-old-for-this-shit over-polished repetition. There are a few bright spots that’ll stick their catchy choruses to you, but for the most part California is borderline forgettable. As a long-time Blink 182 fan, I wanted more from this album.
Read more about why I wasn’t won over by Blink 182’s new album California after the jump.
More than anything, and understandably so given the title of the album, California seems to be a love letter to…well…California. To California itself and the various cities the Blink 182 boys call home in one way or another as well as to the mindset of being California punks and forever teenagers. Songs like Los Angeles, San Diego, and the title track California are all nostalgic anthems aimed at a feeling and an attitude as much as a time and place, which is probably what makes them the strongest songs on the album. You could call these three songs odes even, with the toast of “here’s to you California” going out to all that call the sunny state home.
Unfortunately, the nostalgic highly polished “oooohs” and “aaaaahs” aren’t enough to hold California’s head above water for long, and the album sinks pretty quickly under the microscope. The review over at TheNeedleDrop does a solid job of summing up why the album just falls flat as a new, supposed return from a band that had the potential to really wow fans. It’s not fair to say Blink 182 is dead, but if California was the band’s unsatisfying swan song it wouldn’t be a surprise. All three members are in their 40s now, and it feels forced and almost sad to hear these guys jamming about jumping fences to swim in backyard pools, crazy rock chicks, and being angsty teenagers. After decades of rocking the scene, you’d think the trio could come up with something a little more exciting. Matt Skiba’s “Is that really it.” chimed in after the joke song Built This Pool (which is Mark Hoppus singing “I wanna see some naked dudes. That’s why I built this pool.”) is my attitude toward California as a whole, which is unfortunate. I really wanted to love this new Blink 182 album. Call me cynical and harsh, but maybe it’s time for Blink 182 to grow up a little or call it quits and try something new (again). While fans may be hating on Tom Delonge for leaving the band, at least you can say the guy is stretching his creative wings with projects like Angels and Airwaves and Poet Anderson: The Dream Walker.
Not to pile it on, but it’s not just the attitude that feels stale here. Sure, Blink 182 have always thrown in short joke tracks that aim at a laugh or a raunchy sound bite, and the boys are the type to hop on BMX bikes naked, but the rhythms and song progressions are just…boring. Hoppus and Skiba stick to strumming out generic pop-punk anthem tones like it’s just par for the course now, and I never once said “Oh wow, that was cool” listening to their bass/guitar fillers. It seems like Travis Barker is the only one having fun on the album, and it’s his bombastic beating around his drum set that injects any kind of life into California’s various tracks. Barker’s still got it, and it’s a shame to see him slumming it by banging out background for Blink 182.
That’s not to say there isn’t a track or two on California that fans and genre groupies might enjoy. Admittedly, I had snippets pop into my head here and there after listening to the album a few times, and the songs are so polished it’s easy to remember a catchy chorus. Los Angeles, San Diego, and Home is Such a Lonely Place were decent, California is nice, and halfway through The Only Thing That Matters I was convinced I was listening to a completely different pop-punk band from the ’90s for a minute, which surprised me.
Overall, I wanted more, and I got much less than expected from the new Blink 182 album. Skiba was serviceable as a DeLonge replacement, but he can’t hit the highs and if you aren’t paying attention you might mistake his lows for Hoppus singing, so he really doesn’t bring anything to the table. Hoppus seems to be skating by on past Blink 182 fumes at this point, and if he’s got something left in the tank (which I really hope he does – I used to love that guy) I want to see him have fun creating something new. Barker is still awesome, and he’s easily one of the most talented drummers on the scene. I’m not sure what he’s still doing with Blink 182, because the rest of the music just isn’t up to snuff.
What did you think of the new Blink 182 album? Love it? Hate it? Give it a big ol’ “meh?” Let me know how you felt. If you’re still a die-hard fan, you’ll definitely be able to catch Blink 182 on the road and in concert this summer/early fall. Click on the image below to see when they’re playing in a city near you.
Track List for California:
1 – Cynical
2 – Bored to Death
3 – She’s Out of Her Mind
4 – Los Angeles
5 – Sober
6 – Built This Pool
7 – No Future
8 – Home is Such a Lonely Place
9 – Kings of the Weekend
10 – Teenage Satellites
11 – Left Alone
12 – Rabbit Hole
13 – San Diego
14 – The Only Thing That Matters
15 – California
16 – Brohemian Rhapsody