In late 2004 Tom Delonge announced that he would be coming out with a new cd with a new band called Angels And Airwaves. He also announced that this is the “best music in decades”, “this is more powerful than Box Car and Blink put together”. So as you can see he had very high expectations of this cd. Originally the cd was expected to come out in late January, but has been pushed back a few times and is now being released on May 23rd. The cd was also expected to come out with a bonus DVD, about the story of Blink breaking up and a love story.
The Band:
Tom Delonge- Guitar Vocals
David Kennedy- Guitar
Ryan Sinn- Bass
Adam Willard- Drums
1. Valkyrie Missile- The album kicks off with Valkyrie missile, and unlike most of Blink 182’s songs that usually have about a 10 second intro, the intro in this song is 2:40 seconds. However At 1:05 Tom does come in, but not singing, he’s on a walkie talkie talking to himself. At this point you get to hear what Angels And Airwaves is all about, the intro is guided by an awesome bass line. The guitar really kicks in at 2:15. Then finally after much waited (but enjoyed time) Tom sings for the first time of the album. The verse is guided by a catchy guitar and drum line. The chorus however is all bass and Tom singing. As Tom talked about before the release you can expect epic choruses, this is one of those and is just a very moving. The song has another guitar and drum driven verse, followed by another great chorus. The outro is like the intro, except has a better guitar line, so its an awesome outro. It is my favorite part of the song it really gets you into it. The song concludes with Tom talking to himself again saying “who do we think we are?”… “We’re Angels And Airwaves”. The only things that bring the song down in my mind is the lyrics are not as good as they could be and although a great intro, the first 1:00 is nothing special, but still a great song and great way to open the album. ………. 4.5/5
Chorus:
“If only, You’ll hold on
Just hold on, I’m here and
I’m with you, I’m here too
I feel you, We’ll get through
I know this, I’ve seen it
A hundred times, A thousand times
Just one more time, With you and I
Ill pull you close, And then we’ll say goodbye”
………. 4.5/5
2. Distraction- The song starts with a piano, and it slowly is getting built up by the guitar, but mainly the drums. The drums keep getting louder and louder. It really is an awesome intro, but after about a minute of build up the first thing to play is the chorus in this song. It‘s a loud guitar oriented chorus similar to a Blink one. And then into my favorite part of the song the verse which is carried by the piano and drums. But half way through the bass comes in. The song is about a war and a lost friendship, and has brilliant lyrics except for the chorus which just repeats “I‘ll be your Distraction“. This song has great very catchy verses and a loud booming chorus. It will appeal to many Blink fans, and just the casual listener. The only knock on it from me is the chorus with weak lyrics and just kind of boring. ……… 4/5
First verse:
“There's a field nearby with words written in stone
My love will not die, please let it be known
This place is dead, It echos through town
There's isn't one voice I haven't heard a sound
The planes flew in, their bombs did too
The city fell flat, the fires they grew
When the smoke comes in it'll color this town
But I'll still have you, so I'll say it aloud!”
3. Do It For Me Now- Tom said while they were making Good Day, they made a weird sound that almost sounded like Morose Code, and thus “Do It For Me Now“ formed. The intro is the Morose Code part, and it sounds like it could come off a techno cd. The intro is good, and the guitar has a similar effect to the Valkyrie Missile effect. The first verse is led by the Morose Code sound and heart pounding bass. The chorus is one of the best on the album, and has so much emotion. And is about a love that is not lasting and his last wishes in the relationship. Its really mind boggling to me that Tom could come up with such good lyrics after some of the things that he came up with in Blink.
Second Verse:
“I've really had it with the rain and the tears
the predictable storm that has come every year
and it speaks and for sure with the bat in it's hand
I'm trying I'm trying I'm trying I'm trying I can't
You're a theif and a witch but I love you to death
You steal my heart and curse under your breath
but the one thing that I can most willingly prove
that when you are gone I'll be fine without you “
The only thing that really brings this song down is the weak outro which just repeats “Hold On Hold On To Me” over and over, and its not very emotional its kind of dull ……… 4.5/5
4. The Adventure- The first track that was leaked from the album, and is also the first hit single. Has an extremely catchy intro with an awesome guitar part that’s fun and easy to play. The verses are long and led by Willard’s drumming. The chorus is an easy guitar riff and the more standing out part the drums. The chorus isn’t moving to me and is the weak part of the song. The lyrics are good in this song, well they are in most the album but these ones stood out for me. “I felt this thing I can’t replace, Where everyone was working for this goal, where are the children left without a trace, only to come back as pure as gold to recite this song“. The climax of the song is when Tom is singing “I can not live, I can not breathe unless you do this with me“ a few times. The part is very moving the way Tom sings it. The song caps off with one more chorus and was a solid first single, but the weaker chorus may not make old Blink fans happy. …….. 4/5
Second Verse:
“Any type of love - it will be shown,
like every single tree reach for the sky.
If you're gonna fall,
I'll let you know,
that I will pick you up
like you for I,
I thought this thing,
I can't replace.
When everyone was working for this goal.
We're all the children left without a trace,
only to come back, as pure as gold,
To recite this song.”
5. A Little’s Enough- This is my favorite song off the cd. Every part sounds like amazing, Tom’s voice is the best on this song. The guitar sounds like its rocketing through space and hitting stars and galaxies before it hits your ears. The lyrics are the best are some of the best I’ve heard “Green trees were the first sign, The deepest blue, the clearest sky, Science came with brightest dyes, Like turning water into wine The children ran to see, The parents stood in disbelief, Those who knew braced for the ride The earth itself then came alive.” That part really pumps you up the way Tom sings it, and the chorus is awesome as Tom sings “I, I can do anything if you want me hear, I can fix anything if you’ll let me near, what are those secrets now that your to scared to tell I whisper them all aloud so you can hear your self”. Then after the second chorus the song changes and becomes louder and with more guitar driven power chords. It becomes more catchy, and the last part the back ground vocals really stand out, and by the end of this song you will feel touched. …….. 5/5
Ending:
“I'm sorry I have to say it but you look like you’re sad
Your smile has gone
I noticed it bad
The cure is if you let in just a little more love
I promise you this
A little's enough”
6. The War- The War starts out with one of the catchiest, and undoubtedly the hardest guitar riff on the album (I think it sounds like it could have come right off the Box Car Racer album). Right from the start the song has you, and will most likely be a single. The versus are solid and I think the drums really stand out. The song’s chorus is very guitar driven , which takes the opening guitar part and just turns it into one of the best choruses on the cd. The best part of this song is the last chorus which is built up by the guitar and Tom’s singing, and finishes with another awesome chorus. The song is one of the best, but just doesn’t appeal to me as much as the some others. …….. 4.5/5
First Verse:
“The ocean is on fire
the sky turned dark again as the boats came in
and the beaches streatched out with soldiers
With theirs arms and guns it had just begun.”
7. The Gift- This song sounds like U2 at the start, and builds into a guitar driven verse. The chorus is led by the drums, and has good lyrics. But this song just isn’t very catchy, and just no where near the rest of the album. Everything about it just seems weaker than the rest of the album. This may appeal to other people more than me. This is the worst song on the album in my opinion, and gets old really fast. ………. 3.5/5
Chorus:
“And now, I'll stop the storm if it rains
I'll light up a path far from here
I'll make your fear melt away
And the world we know disappear.”
8. It Hurts- This one starts off with a cool a guitar, until after about .45 seconds where everything stops except the bass drum, and then Tom says “It Hurts“ which repeats many times. The verse has a cool guitar and is quiet catchy. After Distractions boring chorus this one is very catchy with the same guitar part from the intro being played. In the 2nd verse the thing that always gets me is the drums about half way through they stand out and make it better than the 1st verse. The best part of this song though is the end when Tom really starts to sing with some emotion. The song is a very good song, but there are many better one’s on the album .……. 4/5
Chorus:
“How did I let her inside?
We're dripping in sweat and feeling alright
Her lips were the last thing touched tonight
Your best friend is not your girlfriend.”
9. Good Day- The 2nd song that was leaked, and at first I didn’t even think it was going to be on the album (partly because of rumor) because It just wasn’t very good. But as I kept listening to this and The Adventure I started to listen to this one more, and it grows on you every time you hear it. The chorus is awesome, the drums really stand out, and the song just keeps building up until the end, and at the end the last chorus is incredible. But it does take a while to get into, and the first 1:30 aren’t that great, Toms singing isn’t as good as the rest of the album, and it just has a guitar that isn’t anything special. Overall this song is mostly building up and building up, and the last chorus is great, but way to much build up. ………4/5
Second Verse:
“True love is something that comes easy
Just one kiss god I swear I want to...
I heard a pen drop and a nervous heartbeat
Have you ever heard me scream I love you.”
10. Start The Machine- After the break up of one of the biggest bands in the world you can’t expect the album to not have one song about it. But this song is, it starts off with a children’s toy piano (it is rumored that Tom gave it to his daughter Ava as a gift). The thing that leads this song the whole way through is the bass, and when it first comes in it has an eerie almost haunting sound. You can tell it is about Blink from the first lines: “The ash set in then blew away, It's getting lost into the sea, I grew so close, to all the thoughts I had to leave forever, I left the chilling voice of screams and kids and ran for shelter.” The chorus has the toy again and you might expect it to sound annoying, but not at all the chorus is extremely catchy and the bass drives it along. The best part in the song though is the end, as Tom repeats “If loves the word that you say, Just say it, I will listen”. As he sings this the guitar strums out a few chords and the drums really get into it, when this song is over you will be extremely please and feel like singing along, but the only draw back is, that it’s the last song on the album.
……..5/5
Ending:
“I see the stars, they're in your eyes
A playful kiss kept undecided
I'm fast asleep in the nick of time
You've lost your will, God I hope you find it
I'm on my knee just willing to start
A fresh new start to be undecided.”
If loves the word that you say
Just say it, I will listen (x6)”
Overall: 5/5
I look at this in 2 ways.
One way I look at it is that this is undoubtedly the best music Tom has made, and will probably ever make. Every song has something that makes you want to sing along or rock out. I would recommend it to any Blink fan, or any fan of music for that matter.
In the other way I look at it is, is that Tom said that this was “the best music in decades” wrong, and “this is better than Box Car and Blink put together” wrong, and he said “every song gave you that feeling where you wanted to cry” wrong. Although he has delivered a great album, he just over hyped it completely. And if you go in expecting those things he said you will most likely come out disappointed. If he had just kept his mouth shut and said maybe I think we have a great album on our hands then I think no one would be disappointed. I am not because right from the start when he said those things I didn’t think it was possible, so just ignore what he said, and listen to one of the best cd’s in a while.
Recommended songs:
There’s not 1 bad song, but
- A Little’s Enough
- Start The Machine
- Do It For Me Now
- Valkyrie Missile
- The War
Pros-
- Every song is very good and could be played on the radio.
- Tom’s singing and lyrics have improved.
- The drums are awesome, and you don’t even notice that Travis is gone.
Cons-
- Tom Over hyped It.
- The Gift could be better.
