When you think of Blink-182, you might picture three men running down the sidewalk naked. It seems that the days when Mark Hoppus belted, “I ditched my lecture to watch the girls play soccer”, are over. After setting aside their differences and deciding to reunite, the three Californian skater punks have aged into the responsibility of adulthood and drifted away from their iconic pop-punk sound into lyrical and musical maturity.
Blink delved into topics such as teen suicide on “Adam’s Song” on earlier albums. Their sound began to shift eight years ago on Blink-182 which focused not just on the guitar bass formula but also on employment of pianos and synths to develop a more sophisticated sound.
Most of the album is more mainstream rock than punk, and more varied than the three chord fast-paced style of Enema of the State. Several songs on Neighborhoods add a heavy metal influence into the normally bright sound of the band. The first time I heard the intro to “Up All Night”, I almost expected to hear the edgy singing of a young Billie Joe Armstrong. Instead, Tom Delonge’s somewhat whiney voice starts the verse with “everyone lies and cheats their wants and needs.” While “Kaleidoscope” has elements of the older Blink-182, Delonge shows his new outlook claiming, “It’s the first time I’ve worried about a bad dream.”
However, Blink also throws in some bright and poppy songs as well. The upbeat, syncopated guitar strumming and airy background singing on “Wishing Well” introduces a warm sound into the dark feel of the album. “After Midnight” also presents a soothing break from the driving chords of the first couple of songs in the in the album.
Travis Barker’s elegantly crafted drumbeats stand out throughout Neighborhoods, providing an incredibly strong rhythm section to back up his two band mates. Unlike Enema of the State, Barker fills Neighborhoods with innovative and interesting beats that add another new element into the evolving sound of the band.
The most interesting aspect from Neighborhoods comes from the way the band uses piano, drum fills and synth to further their new style. The introspective lyrics and mainstream rock sound of the album provides the listener with a modern take on the direction of rock and roll. Although Neighborhoods does not sound as futuristic as My Chemical Romance’s Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, it helps guide the listener into the sound of future mainstream rock music.
While Neighborhoods explores this style for Blink-182, the album attempts to venture in too many directions. The tracks are too varied and do not mesh well together. “Love is Dangerous” clashes with the generally mainstream rock sound of “Mh 4.18.2011” and “This is Home.” Blink-182 gave the band a new, fresh sound while also providing clear motifs and a constant artistic direction. Neighborhoods lacks the certainty and freshness that made Blink-182 unique, and one of the band’s better albums to date.
Neighborhoods does display a newfound maturity, dealing with insecurities and personal conflicts. This is a new, interesting style for Blink-182, but the band seems unsure of what direction to go in. Most of the tracks do not present the driving drums and fast-paced chords that made Blink-182 unique and famous. Overall, Neighborhoods, while not exceptional, is a very decent album. Any fans of Blink-182 or rock and roll should check out the new sound of the band.
