Blink 182's Self-Titled

Ok if you keep up with my little blurbs and shit then you know that i've been looking into the 90's punk revival pop punk off shoot. I started with Blink 182's first two albums and got their first demo. Honestly I was really impressed by it. So I wanted to measure the transformation. So I checked out their final album released in 2003. In high school I remember a couple of people swearing by this album. So here it is...

This album was a major departure from older Blink albums for sure. Even their pop hits were still in the tradition of old songs such as "Wasting Time" and "Dammit." This album nearly abandons all past efforts in an attempt to seemingly reinvent the band. the album is conceptual focusing largely on an overlying sense of tragic loss and personal remembrance. The album is largely dictated by Tom, which is a good thing trust me. The songs aren't as focused on adolescence as all their previous albums. All the jokes and stunts were cut for this album. that, honestly, is what helps make this album so great. Tom seems to direct the band through this dense sound of interlocking vocal bursts combined with Travis' stepped up drumming. Tom's voice is amazing on this album... It definitely gives the album the tragic feel as previously described while still marinating your interest with a slight tone of hope. Songs like "Stockholm Syndrome" and "Violence" really set the tone for this album along with "All of This" featuring Robert Smith from The Cure.

Overall this is a great album. The band really reinvented themselves with this release. i wrote this band off for song long on the basis of their popularity and business choices. While I still hate capitalized music, I find myself generally enjoying this work. I mean fuck it. I like it. I'm impressed.

Highlights:"Stockholm Syndrome"(My Favorite), "Violence", "I Miss You", "obvious", "Go", "Feeling This", "Down", "Easy Target"

Lows: "Always", "Here's Your Letter", "I'm Lost Without You"