I’ve said it before, and it rings true – nostalgia is one helluva drug, and it speaks poignantly in music as artists retain a presence through our sheer enjoyment and connectivity throughout their careers, especially when a specific era of music was a cornerstone of growing up. I’m guilty of succumbing to the nostalgia and instantly hyping myself up to get disappointed with the outcome; that was the case with last year’s Swedish House Mafia album, where sometimes you miss something formidable, and then you’re left picking up the pieces. That continues with the new Blink-182 album, One More Time…, which does more than remind us of the three talented goofballs who contributed to redefining pop-punk for the 2000s era and establishing themselves as a powerhouse – granted, it came to an end when Tom DeLonge left, came back made Neighborhoods and left again; they didn’t change their identity much since, but Tom’s return made this comeback have a broader appeal to nostalgic sensitivities. Fortunately, they return without missing a beat, delivering something that will have people of varying generations reminiscing and losing themselves to the music, even when it’s of teetering quality.
Back in 2004, D12 dropped the song “How Come,” and on it, they describe the tumultuous relationship between members as Eminem’s stardom kept rising, and a conflict of brotherhood was in question; it was corny, but to me, it brought light into how easily a brotherhood could crumble. When the title song released in September, it may have given fans a glimpse of what one should expect from this new Blink-182 album, and it’s exactly like the past, just more mature and reflective of their career and kinship. Other singles did so similarly, but one can’t forget the first, which caused the inner angsty teenager in me to get filled with glee. “Edging” is a fun romp ala “What’s My Age Again?” and “Online Songs,” delivering tongue-in-cheek lyricism to exhume an intriguing perspective, like the criticism of youth culture in “What’s My Age Again?” With “Edging,” it’s a bit of an apology and an understandable plea for a second chance. The way it comes together is hypnotic, with much of that coming from the melodies and the chorus; it’s one of the definitive highlights, especially as it balances the moody reflections with fun, something I’ve always admired about them.
“Edging” isn’t the only time we hear it come together in such a manner, like on “Dance With Me,” which plays to confidence and nervousness within this desire to dance with the lead. There are some rare instances of unique instrumental choices – one that stands out is “Blink Wave,” which is lyrically Blink, but what’s different is that it contains these subtle notes reminiscent of New Wave, specifically with the synthesizers, creating a captivating wave that brings some frivolity to the journey. It’s similar to “More Than You Know,” which adds more hard rock and punk into the mainframe, with an instrumental that uses nostalgic cues subtly and allows it to be its own thing. It goes the same with the third installment of their “Anthem” series, an antithesis of previous ones, where this is more about perseverance than just flipping off the man; it comes and hits you with this captivating flow, specifically the melodically potent reflections and the anthemic-influenced volumes of their punk rock base. But as the album rounds the bases a few times, it’s easy to notice there is quality, but not many times where you get something different than what you’ve heard.
The music grabs you by the horns and takes you through these multi-dimensional tracks that have some retreads in style and construction via production – the album carries a blurred line that will have some of you, as it did me, gluing your headphones to your ears as the emphatic music starts weaving something grand and ultimately reflexive writing as the band relates to the emotional ringer they’ve felt since the last album. And in between, the band doesn’t forget to remind you what was that made you fall in love with them from the beginning, and that’s their knack for crafting thumping choruses, which shines despite this more hardened look at mortality instead of being a bunch of rowdy youths. In doing so, the music feels more mature and, in a way, something uniquely different, if not all the way so, for Blink-182, as this speaks more about that camaraderie amidst the leave of Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus’ cancer treatment and more. With all that being there, the lack of variety here does make some tracks slightly forgettable, like the more straightforward production of tracks like “Bad News” and “Childhood.” Despite the solid writing and modest performances, it doesn’t round out like others.
Amongst the rest of the longer tracks are these two short-emotionally spirited 30-second or so moments that try to rejuvenate the senses, as in waking you up amidst the reflective tracks that range in tone. Similarly, there’s an interlude that doesn’t move the needle much for the consistent flow you’ve had from the others – they are fine, feeling like they aim for aesthetic and less genuine, trying not to displace identity. It’s a slight detachment that pushes more of an identity due to the music theirs grew from, where shorter tracks were more prominent and had a sense of edge and angst, which isn’t something the album is devoid of, just that they don’t feel as potent to the flow and thus I felt they got stranded in their own circle. But as the album ends, you’re left with something memorable – an album that stands the test of time as Blink-182 sounds as formidable as ever, like nothing was lost throughout the years. It’s been one long trip, and unlike that Swedish House Mafia record, this definitely lived up to the hype. I know I’m going to bump it for days.
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