Six years is a long time to be away from the charts without being forgotten about. Luckily Blink 182 have a hardcore base of fans sticking with them through thick and thin, and that includes a six year hiatus. After last years' hugely successful headline shows at Reading and Leeds festivals, Blink are finally back with some new material.
'Up All Night' is the highly anticipated first single to be released from Blink's upcoming sixth studio album, 'Neighbourhoods' - and what an explosive comeback! From the first bar of the track, it's not exactly clear who you could be listening to. Are you sure this is Blink? The heavy guitar riff, pounding bass, and marching drum beat aren't your typical Blink sound, but as soon as Tom DeLonge's distinctive vocals kick in, it's like they've never been away.
The verses and anthemic sing-a-long chorus are what we all expect from a Blink song, typical pop-punk goodness with their American rock sound thrown in. The music however is a pretty big contrast, almost sounding like it doesn't belong with the same song. But you know what? It works. It works because Blink songs always do - the band know exactly what sounds right and what doesn't, and once again they've hit the nail on the head with this three and a half minutes of pleasure.
Something I've always liked about Blink is that they always sound like them. Don't get me wrong, their songs don't sound the same, but they always seem to retain that familiar sound that has always made them so popular. Their songs don't seem to age yet the band manage to move with the times and update their sound whilst maintaining the fun pop-punk Blink that we know and love.
'Up All Night' is a perfect example of moving with the times. Tom's still youthful vocals work well with what feels like a more mature sound for the band. The time away from each other working on other projects has obviously helped Tom, Mark and Travis bring new influences to Blink, and the contrast of heavier sounding music and familiar voice are a treat for the ears.
With this years' postponed UK tour dates re-arranged for next year, it looks like Blink are keen to showcase their new material when it's truly ready. If 'Up All Night' is an indication of what is to come from Blink's new sound, it looks like the hardcore fans are in for a treat - and the band may just pick up some new fans along the way. A very welcome return!
'Up All Night' is available to download from iTunes now, and new album 'Neighbourhoods' is out in September.
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'Up All Night' is a perfect example of moving with the times. Tom's still youthful vocals work well with what feels like a more mature sound for the band. The time away from each other working on other projects has obviously helped Tom, Mark and Travis bring new influences to Blink, and the contrast of heavier sounding music and familiar voice are a treat for the ears. .jpg)
