Blink 182’s Neighborhoods, Two Versions
When the album was released, there were two versions to choose from: a regular version and a deluxe version, the deluxe being two dollars more and having three more songs. The decision was simple. After waiting seven long years for a new Blink 182 release, I shelled out the extra cash to receive more tracks.
The relevancy of the deluxe version is debatable. The first bonus track, wedged in the middle of the lineup is “Heart’s All Gone Interlude.” At first sight, I’d anxiously anticipated perhaps a Travis Barker drum solo leading up to “Heart’s All Gone,” but instead received a boring two minutes of droning piano and twangy guitar licks. This track is easily skippable. The second bonus track “Fighting the Gravity”, a dark dream-like mess of sounds with Mark Hoppus at lead vocals is a mixed bag. The slow echo-y chorus is somewhat catchy and is definitely a break from the fast-paced direction of the remainder of the tracks on Neighborhoods, but hardly holds up in comparison. Lastly, the bonus track that made the extra cash worth every penny is “Even If She Falls.” If one song on Neighborhoods was directly reminiscent of previous albums like Enema of the State or Take Off Your Pants and Jacket it is the final bonus track. It is, however, an absolute shame that this song wasn’t on the original lineup as it would have made a great hit single.
Blink 182’s Neighborhoods’ Album Artwork
At first sight, the album cover art is a bland mix of black and white buildings with the band’s name superimposed on a Los Angeles city skyline. But on closer look, you can see the personal investment the band contributed to the artwork. Appearing as graffiti on the various buildings are the names of Mark, Tom, and Travis’ children, Travis’ clothing company Famous Stars and Straps, a tribute to the late DJ AM, as well as various other personal references from the band.
Blink 182: A Punk Rock Band
After placing the CD into my computer to rip the songs to my MP3 player, the first thing I noticed was the genre for Neighborhoods was categorized as “Punk”. In the past Blink has been dubbed as “Pop-Punk” and I was wondering what to expect with the exclusion of the word “Pop.” Would they be the same band they were before parting ways and focusing on their own musical paths?
After the first run through of the CD I could understand why the word “Pop” was missing. Unfortunately there weren’t any songs that stood out right away that were as catchy and addicting as singles of the past like “What’s My Age Again,” “All the Small Things,” and “Rock Show.” I strongly believe that it was the “Pop” aspect of the band that brought the music to the mainstream and made Blink 182 the icons they had become in the late 90s and early 2000s. Many of the tracks, especially “Heart’s All Gone” and “MH 4.18.2011” (strangely enough both feature Mark Hoppus as lead vocals) are vaguely reminiscent of the early years of Blink 182 and the sloppy punk sounds of Cheshire Cat and Dude Ranch.
Is Neighborhoods Blink 182 or a combination of Angels and Airwaves and +44?
The overwhelming fear that I’m sure I shared with all other fans of Blink 182 was if Neighborhoods was going to be pure Blink 182 or mixture of their side projects. The band had spent so much time apart on their various side projects, Neighborhoods could very well have turned out to be a mixture of Angels and Airwaves and +44. It was expected that Blink 182 go back to their roots enough to remind their fans of who they are, as well as show that they have progressed as musicians at the same time. Not an easy feat I’m sure, but it was what was expected of the trio. With the exception of the spacey synthesizers at the beginning of “Love is Dangerous” and “Fighting the Gravity” (which sound exactly like any song off of an Angels and Airwaves album), it seems like Blink had succeeded in providing fans with just what they wanted. – Also as a side note: is that Korn’s “Freak on a Leash” at the end of “Snake Charmer”?
Listening to Neighborhoods
From the moment Neighborhoods starts out with its title track “Ghost on the Dance Floor,” the grungy, crunchy, fast-paced guitar and bouncy drum beats tells fans that they can rest easy. Blink 182 is back.
Blink doesn’t slow down from there. If anything, they pick up the pace and keep on moving. “Natives” blows fans away with the fastest guitar solo since Cheshire Cat’s “M+M’s”. The repetitive chorus of “So let me go, go/So let me go, go” was stuck in my head for a week straight; moreso than any of the other choruses on Neighborhoods.
Neighborhoods’ first hit single
The first hit off of Neighborhoods, “Up All Night,” is a good song. However as a hit it doesn’t have a whole lot of clout. I feel like there are much better songs that could have been released as hits over “Up All Night” but it is easy to understand why this track was chosen to be the album’s first single. Fans have patiently waited over the years for the return of Blink 182 and “Up All Night” features heavy drum beats and shared vocals by both Tom and Mark. Blink 182 is one of those rare rock bands that have two recognizable front men. To hear Mark and Tom back together sharing their lyrical “back and forth” after Blink 182’s indefinite hiatus is a dream come true for fans.
Neighborhoods’ catchy tracks
Some of the better songs on the album include “After Midnight,” which provides some of the best drums beats on the record (and the closest to a Travis Barker drum solo that you’re going to get).
“Wishing Well” is full of that classic Blink 182 angst that they have become known for. It is one of the catchiest songs on the album. The reason for this is the “la-da-da-da-dada-da-da’s” from Tom Delonge. Any Blink fan knows that the way to a Blink 182 fan’s heart is with a set of “na na’s” or “da da’s”.
“This Is Home” embodies another catchy chorus with the stuttering lyrics of “I-I-I” and “Oh-Oh-Oh” by Delonge. It also provides the three words that describe how this album feels to fans: “This is Home.”
Daniel Hineline - My name is Dan Hineline and I am currently enrolled at Bloomsburg University studying Creative Writing. I have been the Editor and Chief ...
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