#mackynzie

After nearly eight years since the release of their self-titled album, blink-182 has made their much-awaited comeback with Neighborhoods. Released on September 27th after being postponed numerous times (the band even cancelled an overseas tour due to not having the album out), Neighborhoods certainly had very big expectations surrounding it.

The three members of blink-182, Mark Hoppus, Tom Delonge, and Travis Barker, have certainly had their problems that even lead to an “indefinite hiatus” in 2009, but after sorting everything out, they are back in full force even though all three guys are very busy with their own projects. Hoppus has his show on Fuse, “Hoppus on Music”, Delonge has his other band, Angels & Airwaves, and Barker just released his own hip-hop album, making production of the album difficult for everyone in the band. They finally pulled through, however, to make an album that is more mature than their previous albums (which nearly all contained more than a fair share of toilet humor), but most certainly does not disappoint.

The first single, “Up All Night” was released in July, and was the first real taste of any new blink material that fans had heard since blink-182 was released in 2003. Personally, I was worried after I heard the song because I thought it sounded far too much like Angels & Airwaves. Hearing it with the other songs on the album, however, it sounds just right.

One of my favorite tracks on the album is “Natives” which starts off in the style of “Lemmings” or some of the other tracks on Dude Ranch, with a fast-paced guitar riff and Barker’s signature style of drumming.

The whole album has a much deeper feel, especially compared to far earlier albums like Dude Ranch and Take Off Your Pants and Jacket. The songs are not nearly as happy, and the music sounds a lot like every blink side project came together and had a baby, which they called Neighborhoods, but it’s blink-182 nonetheless and it’s a great album.

However, for fans of Hoppus’ deeper voice, Neighborhoods may be a bit of a disappointment since Delonge sings most of the songs. “Kaleidoscope” and “MH 4.18.2011” are two Hoppus tracks (as you can probably tell by the track of MH 4.18.2011...Mark Hoppus 4.18.2011) that will hopefully satisfy some of the Hoppus hunger. Delonge and Hoppus also switch of on some choruses like they have in the past.