Angels and Airwaves
I’ve never been one to be “too cool for Blink 182.” Even when they become sell-out MTV darlings, I was able to put that all behind me and appreciate the music behind all the fanfare. Despite the cheesy persona that Blink put out there on stage and television, they wrote some pretty damn good songs. (If you haven’t listened to the Cheshire Cat record, you’re really missing out.) Even the breakout record Enema of the State had some great catchy party-anthems that were the perfect soundtrack to party-crazy college kids, present company included.
Fans of Blink 182 first started seeing a serious side of the band with the hugely popular single “Adam’s Song” off Enema of the State. The infections, beautiful and melancholy song dealt with suicide and was just the beginning of a more mature Blink 182.
Despite it’s cheeky title, Blink 182’s 2001 effort Take Off Your Pants and Jacket was a huge step forward for the band. Building off the serious nature of “Adam’s Song,” the band released a few more songs that dealt with a lot more than prank phone calls and bodily fluids; “Stay Together For the Kids” is one of the most notable of those songs.
Blink 182’s self-titled album released in 2003 ended up being their last with the band officially calling it quits a little while after its release. While there was no public battling between the band-mates, it became all but obvious that each member of the group had wanted to experience life outside the band, and Travis Barker (drummer) and Tom DeLonge (guitar/vocals) had already done so with their side-project Box car Racer.
Fast-forward to 2006. With a lot of hype with declaring the creation of one of the best rock records of the past 20 years, Tom DeLonge debuts his latest band, Angels and Airwaves. Their album We Don’t Need To Whisper was written with the intentions of becoming this generations The Joshua Tree, a record that remains as influential and popular today as it was after its release 20 years ago. Trying to create such a big record is an all-but-impossible task, and only time will tell if We Don’t Need To Whisper will be one of those records, but I can write that after an initial listen, it’s quite a remarkable effort.
I’ve always preferred the vocals of Tom DeLonge to Mark Hoppus in Blink 182, and they are at their best with Angels and Airwaves. The record is completely devoid of the immature hijinks that became synonymous with Blink and fans of the serious pop-punk produced by the boys later in their career will surely find those influences rooted in each song.
For those who are too snobby to even give the record a chance because of its bloodline, you are missing out. Hell, even Robert Smith sang a song on Blink 182’s last record. If that’s not cred, I don’t know what is!
Download Angels and Airwaves “The Gift” here
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