Blink 182 just released their second single ‘After Midnight’ off their album ‘Neighborhoods’. It’s about a girl. Just like all the other tracks. Oh wait, there’s a song about an albatross too. Lol jk, the entire album is a tribute to Captain Planet. Psyche! They’re back after 8 long years, still singing about them chicks.
Ghost On The Dance Floor
The song begins with a spooky intro, but it doesn’t launch into a death metal sequence like you expect it to. Much like their past songs, this song is about a girl. Do not be discomfited by the title. Ghost on the dance floor is a song about some girl who probably dumped one of the band members. And oh, they now see an apparition of an old memory where she’s dancing on the dance floor. ‘My God it felt so real’, Tom Delange sings. If they released this song as their first single and Blink-182 fans judged the album by it, most would not be disappointed. Because this still sounds like the same punk rock band who brought you ‘I miss you’ from Blink 182’s, ‘Blink-182’ album. And there’s a plus with this song too. They’ve gotten rid of cheesy phrases like, ‘We’ll live like Jack and Sally’.
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Up All Night
To me, in this song the intro music sounds like it’s confused between being Slipknot or Bullet for My Valentine. But then Tom Delange starts singing and the music becomes more Blink-182. The song then climaxes on a very ‘Disturbed’ note. The intro and climax would make those metal bands feel proud by such a failed imitation. This shouldn’t have been the first single released from the album if you ask me. The video, keeps in tradition of being very punk with a few freaky looking ghost children as opposed to the banshee girls in ‘I miss you’. If that’s what you like from Blink-182, then you wouldn’t agree with me. If you haven’t heard this yet, listen to it for its profound sounding melodious chorus. Either they’re not singing about girls here (That would be a shocker eh?) or they’ve moved to the intellectual level of using metaphors. ‘And all these demons, keep me up all night’. Poor band’s being tortured demonically by haunting thoughts of some girl.
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After Midnight
Ah-hah! Listen to it! Delange is singing about a girl! Some things never change. This was the second single from Neighborhoods. This lyrics are very 2003 Blink 182. Although the music doesn’t begin with a jovial intro with all of them playing in unison like we’ve seen in ‘All the small things’. The beginning of ‘After Midnight’ is just drums and then the progression of the bass guitar and guitar. I’d listen to this song to bring me back to 2003 when Blink-182 and Busted were all I listened to. If you’re still who you were in 2003 with Blink 182 on your Discman go no further before listening to this song.
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Natives
This song has the music you appreciated from ‘All the small things’ with a little hint of metal. The synchrony between the guitar and the drums, and Tom Delange and Mark Hoppus both singing about the girls, yet again. It’s a description of how much of a horrible person they think they are and how they just want to be let go of. Quite a contrast to the other songs we’ve been reading about. I suspect that there’s more than one woman in these boys lives. Or they’re just providing us a wider perspective on what we must think about our girlfriends. Blink-182 loves to share. Especially after an 8 year hiatus.
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Overall Neighborhoods could be deemed a good album. One you would buy. (Or you know, just download). But it still does not top ‘Enema of the state’. And that is not judgement passed on it just because of its cool-ass title or because of its voyeuristic album cover. Not solely that is. We all like songs about girls. Yes, including you. So for this reason, and for the sake of diminishing punk rock, give Neighborhoods a listen.
