WE DON’T NEED TO WHISPER - ANGELS & AIRWAVES
Sweeping and epic are two words generally not associated with Blink-182, but Tom DeLonge has stepped out of the shadows of his former band with Angels & Airwaves. The lyrics and tone here are as positive and serious as Blink’s were juvenile, and “Joshua Tree”-era U2 is an obvious sonic blueprint. It works best on “The Adventure” and “The War” with David Kennedy utilizing Edge-like echo-guitar effects miles away from punky power chords. While Blink’s ambition can’t be faulted, one of the reasons it was so popular was because its songs were memorable. Many of Angel’s midtempo tracks, while well-intentioned, fail to reach the lofty heights to which they aspire. If the band can follow up on its potential, it will be a force to be reckoned with.
