I’ve had 24 hours to digest this, and I’m still not sure what to say or how to react.
My favorite band released new music and I didn’t think it would ever happen. I had to work at 8am on Friday morning and for someone that works in retail that’s an early shift but I wasn’t waiting for the morning to hear new music.
One More Time is the bands first album since 2011’s Neighborhoods. 4,409 days ago. Tom Delonge left the band and Mark and Travis brought in Matt Skiba from Alkaline Trio and they made two albums, Nine and California that were ok, but it wasn’t Blink 182, and then during Covid shutdown’s when I thought I couldn’t possibly be more depressed , Mark Hoppus accidentally tweeted he had cancer and was in treatment.
Today that 4,409 days came to an end when the OG lineup released an album, Mark Hoppus, Travis Barker and Tom Delonge, have gifted us One More Time. (I am not a fucking idiot, I know Travis isn’t the original drummer, but this wasn’t a band until Travis joined).
17 tracks, the longest Blink 182 album that they’ve ever released, and when I tell you there isn’t a single filler on this album I’m not lying to you. 17 tracks about life, and loss, and not wasting time that’s not promised, big fucking hooks, and sing a long choruses.
My only complaint about the album was the slow rollout of singles, Blink 182 released Edging a year before the albums release, and then hit us two new songs 11 months later and then a new single every week leading up to the albums release. I would have loved to hear all these songs new in the order that they are meant to be on the album. But i promise I’m not complaining.
In 2003 Blink 182 released their untitled/self titled album and it was a drastic departure from everything they’ve recorded before. When it was released that November I didn’t think they’d ever top it. But I was wrong. One More Time is Blink 182’s greatest victory.
“This time, I won’t be complacent
The dreams I gave up and wasted
A new high, a new ride and I’m on fire
My hope shit ends here tonight”
Take that trip, ask out that girl that you think is dope, go see your favorite band play live, fuck it life’s too short.
Svo