While Neighborhoods bears all the markings of a typical Blink record, it isn’t really a Blink you’ve heard before. It’s darker, more melancholy, and carries more weight than previous offerings. They’ve grown up, grown into their skin and apparently grown to accept and embrace one another’s musical differences, something the band cited as a reason for their split back in 2004.
Musically, the band blends all the best elements of their previous side-projects with the unmistakable Blink sound. There are choruses in the vein of Angels and Airwaves, drum breaks you could easily find in a Transplants record, +44-esque guitar and bass riffs, and even some echoes of Box Car Racer.
The lyrics are moody and more intelligent, the composition of individual songs is more complex and well executed than any previous Blink offering (that being said, I don’t like Up All Night one bit), and the egos have been cast aside – hopefully for good. I know I’ve said it once already, but Blink 182 are back…really back.
Best track : Wishing Well
If you like this, you’ll like this : Taking Back Sunday, Alkaline Trio
In a word : Just Blink.
BY OLIVER PELLIMG
