Review Summary: Take a hike Tom.
John Feldmann we have got to stop meeting like this. I didn't think it was a coincidence that Matt Skiba made a cameo on Andy Black's
The Shadow Side, so it came as no surprise that the new Blink-182 album
California was produced by; you guessed it, John Feldmann. To be quite frank, I'd given up hope of ever hearing a good Blink-182 record ever again. I mean,
Enema of the State was by far the best Blink album of all time, but after that it all just fell down.
Take Off Your Pants and Jacket was good, not great, and their self-titled effort was their most mediocre effort. Don't even get me started on
Neighborhoods either; a record so full of itself you'd think it was made specifically to stroke Tom Delonge's ego and nothing else. However, I must say I have been pleasantly surprised by Blink's newest effort.
One of my biggest criticism's of Blink's later albums was the lack of their trademark immature humor. Their self-titled album saw the band attempt to mature their lyrics for their growing audience. The result was largely a failure; it just wasn't Blink-182 anymore.
California brings back that dumb toilet humor that Blink has always been known for. A perfect example is the hilarious track
Sober, featuring great percussion and Matt Skiba singing about waking up next to a dumpster with a black eye.
Can I just say though, the biggest star here is Travis Barker. At such a prime in his career, Travis still proves he is one of the best drummers in the business. From his top notch rhythm in their first single
Bored to Death, to his absolutely bonkers speed percussion in
Rabbit Hole. To see Travis continue to shred left and right fills my nostalgic heart with joy; especially since, you know, he almost fucking died. Outside of that, Matt Skiba has proven to be a great addition to Blink-182. Where Tom Delonge has seemingly forgot what Blink music sounds like, Matt is here to remind us. He sings great vocals in both tracks
She's Out of Her Mind and the power ballad
Los Angeles, but also leaves room for some dumb humor to entertain fans. I expected this level of hilarity from Matt, especially considering his time in Alkaline Trio; a band with a humor so black, I hated myself every time I giggled out of guilt.
John Feldmann should also be given credit where credit is due, though. Having been in longtime Punk band Goldfinger for so long, John knows how Punk albums sound and feel. He let's the band just be themselves, only inserting his own efforts to boost certain tracks that seem lacking. From his small piano cameo in
Bored to Death, to adding small tenor vocal dubbing in
She's Out of Her Mind. In
California John applies his craft to giving Blink a completely epic feel while also letting the band mates remain the same jackasses they've always been.
It feels damn good to be a Blink fan today; to finally hear Blink sound as they used to, and not pretending to be something they're not. People will complain how Blink have always acted immature and that they should've stuck with their more mature lyrics and experimental sound. Fuck that. Blink-182 has always been about toilet humor, sex, general dipshittery, and most of all, fun. They were always fun. I missed those days, but now I don't have to, because those days are back. Thank you Blink-182!
