Review by Doug Cornell

Great rock albums begin with solid drumming.  There haven't been any albums released in recent history that have percussion as good as Blink 182's new self-titled album.  Normally, the punk genre is driven first by guitars, then vocals, then percussion.  This album alters the formula by making the percussion a main instrument.  Make no mistake, the guitar melodies are among the most interesting put to disc this year.  The vocals are also first rate.  The excellent stick work by Travis Barker makes this album, Blink's seventh, a contender for album of the year.

Early fans of Blink 182 will find this album to be quite a departure from their usual brand of brash, aggressive punk.  Instead, the boys have grown up and offer introspective moments ("The Fallen Interlude") and extended musical passages.  This is one of those albums that will find soccer mom's rocking out while vacuuming the recreation room.  If the bands new maturity hurts Blinks punk creds, so be it.

Beginning with a flanged drum lick, "Feeling This" immediately signals a departure for the band into a more adventurous punk-pop (bubblepunk?) territory.  Interweaving blasts of raw intensity with hip-hop beats and clever production, the song chugs and moves in 5 directions all at once, arriving in a complete manifestation of pure bliss.   "Obvious" begins with waves of ominous, dark minor chords, and demonstrates effective use of dynamics and production tricks like a subtle bell dinging away during the chorus.   This year's prom will feature "I Miss You," a beautiful little piano/acoustic guitar ballad propelled by a nifty hip-hop beat  and layered with a soft string section.  "Violence" is an ambitious track, balancing expertly spaced instrumentation with static, double-tracked pseudo-rap vocals, and a sing-along chorus.  "Stockholm Syndrome" (sure to be a live favorite) proves the boys can still punk out when they want (even among bits of sputtering piano), while "Down" is a slick mid-tempo number with clever vocal overdubs.

Purists will be annoyed by the almost-dub style used in "The Fallen Syndrome."  But two minutes later we're back in pure punk territory with "Go."  "Asthenia" begins with a bit of synth noodling, but smartly cranks up the guitars and pitches us a brilliant vocal hook.  Tom Delonge sings, "I've been here before a few times, and I'm quite aware we're dying, and your hands they shake with goodbyes, and I'll take you back if you'll have me," in the pure pop masterpiece, "Always."  This is one of those songs that any one of a thousand bands wished they'd written.  One feels that Delonge really understands love, as he chants, "let me feel you, touch you, taste you," to a raging bass/guitar line.

Barker's percussion is spotlighted in the intense "East Target."  Much has been made of the Cure's Robert Smith singing a duet with Delonge in "All of This," and as a marketing ploy, it's a smart move that will bring new fans to the band.  "All of This" is a nice tune, with its acoustic guitars and Cure-ish melody.  But it's not the strongest track on the album by any means.  The boys swerve back into punk territory with "Here's Your Letter," then take us on an adventurous journey with the tear jerking closer, "I'm lost Without You."  If you've made your boyfriend or girlfriend mad lately, play him/her this tune and everything will turn out fine.

A lot of punk albums have passed through this reviewers earphones, but I'll go out on a limb and say that Blink 182 have set the standard for all to follow.  Lush production, adult themes, hook-laden vocals and guitars, and best of all, outstanding percussion make this album a potential masterpiece.