Blink-182 (Re)Reunited

It's interesting to be writing about this band reuniting, again. I'll admit, I was less excited about it than I was about the band announcing the addition of Matt Skiba. Even after they released the lead single last year ahead of their giant world tour announcement, I was happy they were back, but not ecstatic. "Edging" was the goofy blink of old, but it felt very underwhelming and a bit lackluster. It was especially odd to me that they waited over a year to release a follow up single(s), but hearing "One More Time" was a truly special experience. I listened, as one does, in the bathroom early in the morning on Friday the 21st of September. Even in my pre-caffeinated state, the stripped down instrumental and back and forth vocals of Tom and Mark (and even briefly Travis) resonated deeply within me, as it did with many others. Though the lyrics lack nuance, they are still moving and touching in the way that they are relatable for both the band and the fans. For example:

I wish they told us, it shouldn't take a sickness, Or airplanes falling out the sky

The references are very clear - Travis' close call with death in a horrifying plane crash and Mark's diagnosis with cancer. But the first time I heard that line, I felt my breath catch in my throat. It was brutal in its honesty, and that felt very Blink at its core.

Despite how much I enjoy everything about "One More Time", I find that myself coming back more to the other single, "More Than You Know". It feels like a sequel in sound to the Dogs Eating Dogs EP, which has some of my favorite blink songs ever (like "When I Was Young"). I think what makes this feel like an evolution, however, is the cohesion of the direction of the band. Dogs Eating Dogs still felt like a mash up of Blink and Angels & Airwaves and +44, while the new material (especially "More Than You Know"), feels like proper Blink-182. This song in particular holds my attention with both the lyrics and the instrumental. There's a specific line in the chorus that I keep coming back to:

I don't feel shame, I don't have highs but I got some lows I feel I've been cursed, I've been numb and sinking down like a stone

The last part in particular feels like a reference to two songs by other artists - "Like A Stone" by Audioslave and "Numb" by Linkin Park. If one line had been used and not the other, I wouldn't put too much stock into the internet speculation about the lyrics. But both being used, in a song that talks about dealing with ideas of pain, death, and being gone too soon, feels intentional. And it both warms and breaks my heart. Linkin Park has, is, and will always be my favorite band, but Blink-182 was my number 2 for a long, long time. They have always held a special place in my heart, which is why it's always painful to watch the drama they put themselves through. Something I think about often is when I was able to attend the memorial show Linkin Park put on for Chester Bennington in 2017, and one of the bands they brought out to help them perform was Blink-182. The band started playing the opening notes of one of their biggest hits, "I Miss You", and I immediately broke down in tears. Hearing my second favorite band dedicating a song about the lead singer of my favorite band was just too much, too overwhelming.

At the time of finishing this up, the new album drops this Friday (October 20th) and there are two more singles out, but I'll end here. Is this going to be their best album yet? Will the band remain together for a while? I'm hesitant to be fully optimistic, but I'm hopeful that this is the start of a wonderful stage of Blink-182, and I can't wait to hear the full album.