Review Summary: Angels and Airwaves definitely hit a home-run with everything they put into this cd, variation, emotion, and above all dedication.
Well it was about 3 years ago when I first heard of DeLonge’s new band, Angels and Airwaves. I remember sitting in computer class, and a friend of mine who was deeply into Blink-182 told me all about Angels and Airwaves. I reminisce thinking to myself, oh no another Blink-182 since I wasn’t quite fond of them. Nonetheless the first song I heard changed my idea about them almost as soon as “The Adventure” took off into the emotional, dreamy state. It’s now 2007, I’m a prominent fan of Angels and Airwaves and this is the review for their latest effort, I-Empire.
This album has a distinguishable improvement over 2003’s We Don’t Need to Whisper, providing much more variation in the song’s it presents. Tom DeLonge still produces clean and powerful vocals which in this album range much higher and hold clean tones. Moreover, DeLonge seems to deliver more solid vocals that make an understanding that he’s doing what he does best.
The lyrical content on this album is what you’d expect and more if you picked up We Don’t Need to Whisper. DeLonge deals with an assortment of emotion that ranges from positivity to negativity. Metaphors are prevalent throughout the cd, as you engulf deeper and deeper. As you listen, you find yourself relaxing and connecting to the majority, if not every lyric that is sung. The track labeled, Rite of Spring deals with personal connectivity, and elaborates the reason he’s the character he is today. Looking back at the debut, Angels and Airwaves have a firm grasp on the concept and idea they want their lyrics to illiterate.
“The stars in your eyes light up the sky, with God’s light, fire and sound.”
Instruments, have significantly improved to an extent that the repetitiveness isn’t valid anymore. Each song holds its own persona, and takes you to a different place. Guitars seem to lay back and play enjoyably, but still can get aggressive and more melodic, “Everything’s Magic”. Drums do everything that they’re supposed to do. The style which is prevalent throughout the cd, isn’t fast but holds strong patterns, and goes at its own speed. Although the fills are fun catchy through every song, they tend to lack variation to an extent yet it doesn’t destroy nor flaw any aspect of this cd.
I-Empire holds strong to the idea that it was founded on, and doesn’t hold back at any point of this record. Angels and Airwaves definitely hit a home-run with everything they put into this cd, variation, emotion, and above all dedication. If you’re a fan of “We Don’t Need to Whisper” pick this up and enjoy.
