Review Summary: This album sounds like a young band just starting to pick up some monentum, and having a lot of fun doing it. You won't find many of the elements that make the groups self titled so great, or Angels and Airwaves so boring, which is part of what makes this
In 1994 there probably wasn't anyone predicting that blink-182, a three piece pop punk band from California, would ever make any real impact in the world of mainstream music. After all, they were just three immature kids who wrote songs about about girls and adult diapers. Really, even the members of the band probably had no expectations for real success, and were just content with making a fun pop punk album that would go virtually unnoticed by the mainstream, and they did it well.
This album is full of fast paced, cheesy, fun songs that are by no means musical genius. It’s easy to infer from the song names alone (ex: “Does My Breath Smell”) that at the time, this wasn’t a band that took themselves too seriously, and it shows in the music. There are plenty of moments on this album where the band is straightforward in their songwriting approach, churning out three minute bursts about love or relationships that will please Blink fans who enjoy the albums that followed this one. But there are also a lot of crazy (Hilarious) moments when the bands personalities really shine through.
The last three songs on the album showcase the most ridiculous elements of the album, covering topics such as adult diapers and awkward love stories involving family members. Even the two minute blast of epic metal power that is “Just About Done” isn’t shocking because it’s hard to take this album very seriously to start with. The last three songs aren’t the only ones that stand out for being humorous or ridiculous either, the whole album is littered with witty one liner’s and ridiculous topics that keep every song interesting.
This album isn’t without its serious moments though, and there are a few songs that really stand out for being more structured and thought out. This really shows on the albums best track “Carousel”, which features some great instrumentation and even some sincere lyrics. “Carousel” has actually become a Blink fan favorite that the band still plays live. And even the less serious “M+M’s” comes off as being a more sincere effort, and was included, along with “Carousel” on the bands Greatest Hits album.
In the end, Cheshire Cat probably will never be looked at as a genre defining album, or Blink’s magnum opus, but it is where the band really started to gain momentum. The songs on this album show a band that is starting to develop into the songwriters they would become with later releases. It’s Cheshire Cat that really set the bar for what Blink would do in the future.
Recommended Tracks:
Carousel
Peggy Sue
Wasting Time
Ben Wah Balls
