Neighborhoods

Most of the time, when a band splits up, it doesn’t get back together, and the ones that do invariably produce a really lame, uninspired comeback album. Not so with aging pop-punkers Blink-182 and their new album, Neighborhoods. Despite being released about eight years after the band’s last album, the newest effort seems to be a logical mix of old and new sounds. There are some straightforward pop songs that sound an awful lot like their earlier material, minus the dick jokes. There are also some tracks reminiscent of 2003’s glossy self-titled album, and several songs that take a step forward, beginning to sound (dare I say) prog. Neighborhoods earns points for several ambitious compositions, and there are tunes on this album that evoke emotions outside the realm of teenage angst. This is not to say Blink-182 has become entirely profound—frontman Tom Delonge’s attempts at sounding like a distressed 17-year-old are more ridiculous now than ever, and some of the melodies in his sing-a-long choruses are more than a little played out. Even if hearing a fully grown man overly emoting is a turn-off, Neighborhoods is still worth a listen.