Review – Blink 182 – Neighborhoods 2xLP

Blink 182 – Neighborhoods LP – Blink 182 already lived the quintessential pop punk career. The band started small, releasing a couple of fantastic, low-production value but high-energy teen-angsty albums, gaining a reputation for being humorous on tour. Then the trio got huge, signed to a major label (creating a rift between old-school fans and newcomer audiences), ultimately matured, branched out in different directions and broke up, or went on “indefinite hiatus,” in 2005, then spun off into several side projects. But maybe the most unexpected part of the story was the band getting back together in 2008 after some tragedy hit close to the band’s members, ultimately leading to a sixth studio album in Neighborhoods, and a triumphant one at that. The band had the deck stacked against it, with time leaving Blink 182 a little less relevant, side projects changing fans’ perspectives on the band’s members, and ultimately expectations of die-hards riding against anything the band might do. Yet, Neighborhoods may be the best effort from Blink 182 since Dude Ranch.

Neighborhoods’ opening three tracks – “Ghost on the Dance Floor,” “Natives” and “Up All Night” – are quite telling of what fans can expect on the later effort. Blink 182 offers up an album that is decidedly more mature (at least musically) than its previous work, but mature in more of an honest, the-band-actually-got-older-and-saw-more-things sort of way, basically not nearly as boring as the self-titled effort on which the band first departed. It is a-little-bit-dance-y pop-punk that pulls, in terms of the more complex compositions, from Tom DeLonge’s Angels and Airwaves project, while still staying upbeat, fun and not nearly as pretentious, in the old Blink 182 tradition.

There are some negatives to consider, though. While the songwriting may have matured in a good way, the lyrics find Blink 182 still at the turn of the millennium, with ridiculous F-bombs dropped to simply fill the space rather than serving any purpose. The members of Blink also self-produce the effort this time around, and at times it seems they are playing around with effects too much when they should simply be leaving songs to speak for themselves.

That said, as someone who didn’t pay much mind to the idea of a 2011 Blink 182 album, Neighborhoods is surprisingly good. It is also a lot of fun to sing along with a good “lada da da dada da da,” and Blink 182 offers plenty of fun sing along moments. The “Neighborhoods” concept and art, though, is a bit boring, wasting a nice six-panel gatefold. The blue-and-white records (limited to 2,000, also available in white), sound great, but both feel flimsy. It is also nice that even on a major, Blink 182 is offering a free download of the album for fans purchasing the vinyl, but it is through an annoying system that requires a track-by-track download. Still, much like the album itself, despite its small problems, it’s hard not to like the Neighborhoods package overall, and it’s hard for even the most jaded fan to not feel a little excited that Blink 182 is back.

Purchase:

Blink 182 – Neighborhoods LP (White, LTD 3,500)
Blink 182 – Neighborhoods LP (Blue/White) (LTD 2,000)  

Review by: Bill Jones

Sound/Press Quality: 4/5
The Album: 4/5
Artwork & Packaging: 3/5