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1. Chapter XIII:  Masterpiece song. So epic. The deep ones just win me over on this album for the top spots. "And we'll both take our revenge, but we still won't feel any better" might be the best part on the album.  This one aged the best for me.

2. Lilian: I was debating this 1. Song is just so deep.  A perfect Mark song.  Great thing about this album is those second choruses that just smack you in the feels. 

3. Lycanthrope:   Third spot was hard, but this song just fucking rocks start to finish. Love the Shane backing vocals too.  "And I know none of us will survive, because I know everything" fucking love it.

4. Little Death:  This spot was also hard..but Little Death is just such a terrific song. The aol version is even better. The water effects on that acoustic guitar.. how can you not like Little Death.

5.WYHSB:  This song was clearly written to be the single, it's obvious, and normally I'm against those songs, but this song is just so fucking fun and on an album that's somewhat depressing, it's much needed. This song has grown on me a ton lately, it's so much better than I used to give it credit for now that nothing else like it is being made. Cool video, and the start of +44. 

6. Cliff Diving (Acoustic): Kind of cheap to throw in the acoustic version, but it's so much better than the original imo and such a great song, and the original is a good song on its own. Easy to throw on, much needed upbeat song as well.

7. No It Isn't:  Greatest anti-tom song ever. Who doesn't remember when this song dropped? "This isn't just goodbye, this is I can't stand you" . Fuckkk that's great.  

8. 155: I wanted to make this the cop out for last place song because I don't really like the keyboard thing, the only thing I don't like on the album, but the second half of this song just takes it to another level. When they add that second chorus, the breakdown/bridge..great song

9. Make You Smile:  Really liked this idea and execution of this song (really every idea they had was gold execution), pairing Mark up with a female vocalist sounds great.  

10. Baby Come On:  Honestly, Mark just overhyped this song too much for me. I like it, a lot, but it's not as great as the others imo and Mark thinks it's the best thing he's written.  Used to like it more, might have overplayed it as well by now.

11. Weatherman:  The unlucky weatherman, as the 11st best.  That chorus is intense though, and outro. Great song, just my least favorite.

 

What's yours?

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1. Make You Smile : I was going to put Lillian here, but I've always had a soft spot for this song. I'm not sure why, there's nothing remarkable about it, its fairly simple. I think the novelty of Mark and a female vocalist just warms me and makes the song stick out more than any other. It's just simple and sweet and I love Travis's electric drumming on it. I love the simplicity but slight changes in the verses, and I love the build of the chorus. it's one of the only times where I'm like "yes, the effects on this kick ass". its a song that makes me go "damn, I wish they'd kept her and done the electronic album they initially promised". 

2. Lillian : It's just gorgeous. Awesome instrumentation, awesome lyrics, possibly my favourite mark bridge of all damn time. it just kicks so much ass.

3. Chapter XIII : Again, I love a lot of the instrumentation on the track, I actually love the guitars on this one specifically. it's got some great dynamic moments, another great bridge, fantastic outro... it's just a solid, beautiful, well thought out piece. Just thinking over it I'm reminded of how great Travis's drumming is on the +44 record. I also love the anguish in Mark's voice, and the lyrics aren't half bad either (if a little weird). 

4. No It Isn't : I prefer the demo version, but the song is still pretty solid. I used to cringe at some of the lyrics at the end bit, but compared to California they actually seem totally fine. It's emotional, it's powerful, it's honest and I remember listening to it the first time and thinking "holy shit" at it all. it was just all insane to me. 

5. Lycanthrope : I never used to be fond of this one but it grew on me over time. I love a good "Hey, screw you guy!" song and I turned to this one a lot a few years ago, I love the lyrics a lot as well. not a big fan of the guitar work and I think it definitely could have been potentially a lot better but it's still a solid track. plus I love the "YEEEEAAAAHHH" 

6. When Your Heart Stops Beating : Man, it's just a fun song. it could have been an amazeballs blink song if Tom had been involved, but its still a good song on it's own. its just fun, I love the little synth bits in the second verse, I love the harmonies on the chorus. cool little song.

7. Baby, Come On : It's a good song, but the "remember, remember" has always bugged me and probably always will, but it's a good song, it's sweet, nothing massively special but I am a fan. 

8. 155 : I really like the chorus and the "please lets not speak, don't breathe a word" part, I find the verses pretty forgettable. some weird lyrics in it too. 

9. Interlude : I find it pretty, but not something I'll listen to a lot.

10. Little Death : It's a skippable fairly boring track to me, I always hated the chorus. 

11. Weatherman : I love the "I feel it pulling at me..." part, but apart from that I basically just dislike the song. it's a durge. I understand why it exists, and I usually like when Mark does things a little different, but I just find it incredibly meh. 

12. Cliff Diving : Eurgh. 

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Ah, this is gonna be difficult. This is arguably my favourite album.

1. Little Death: This tends to be my go to song. I listen to it more than the others. Great track.

2. 155: The lyrics in the chorus are just fucking beautiful. It's a pretty generic sounding song, but nearly all +44 is. How they could sound so different is beyond me. This is the song where I hear vibes from the Cure.

3. Lycanthrope: Killer tune. Love how the album starts off with some fast depressing/angsty/angry kind of mood. The lyrics to this are great too. Just a complete rocker of a song.

4. When Your Heart Stops Beating: This is just a great track. The bridge to this is great. Would love to know how they achieved the tones on that. Sounds like flangers to me. Similar to the tone on KOTW from blink's California album. Lyrics are brilliant as usual. Love the beat Travis comes up with. Like a simply pop/dance kind of beat with punk rock/indie rock guitars going over it.

5. No, It Isn't: This was the first song I loved from this band. Beautiful lyrics even though it's about blink's break up. The song is structured perfectly. Great build up to the final verse when everything goes fast and loud.

6. Cliff Diving: I used to think of this as a filler song, but it grew on me. The lyrics again, just stand out. Love the guitars in the chorus too.

7. Lillian: A song with a 6/8 signature. Although I love blink's 6/8 song, I laughed about how they made such a big deal about writing a song in 6/8, when they've done it before with +44. Lillian is better than 6/8 too IMO. Love the electronic vibes.

8. Make You Smile: This song would be terrible without Carol singing on it. This song is so perfect with her honestly. The call and response vocals on this puts blink's Neighborhoods Mark/Tom trade offs to shame. Mark & Carol on here are arguably as good as Tom/Mark on Feeling This, Stockholm Syndrome, Pathetic, Everytime I Look For You IMO. Love the story of this song too, as if they're speaking to each other or whatever. Great track.

9. Baby Come On: Nice upbeat sounding song. Just a simple song that works so well. Could've been a single IMO.

10. Weatherman: Ok, this doesn't deserve to be near the bottom (no tracks do tbh). The verses are fucking superb. Love the electronic vibes. I actually remember my mum and my brother moaning at me for having this song on full blast once. They said shit like "can you turn this off? It sounds so depressing". Sure, depressing but what a great song.

11: Chapter 13: Again, this doesn't deserve to be at the bottom. I literally adore every single song. They're all as good as each other. I think I might just slap myself for putting it at the bottom. But no matter what song goes at the bottom, I'd just slap myself anyway. This album competes with the smiley face album for the number one favourite album of mine to be honest.

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When Your Heart Stops Beating - energetic & fun

Lycanthrope - energetic & aggressive

155 - good flow, great chorus

No It Isn't - fuck you Tom

Cliff Diving - fun song

Baby Come On - pretty fun song

Make You Smile - pretty nice

Chapter 13 - pretty boring

Lillian - boring

Weatherman - more boring

Little Death - most boring

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Lillian: Great song. Probably one of Mark's most underrated
Chapter 13: I've grown to love this song over the years too
Baby Come On: Love this one too, but prefer the acoustic
155: I think I prefer the acoustic one here too
Make You Smile: It's just so nice and sad
Little Death: The handclaps are great and I love the lyrics
Lychanthrope: Pretty standard Pop Punk and not the best Pop Punk song, but better than most of California
When You're Heart Stops Beating: I like the drumming in it a lot. The song is so and so, but there are some lyrics that get to me all th time, even if they are mixed in with some embarrassing ones. And now that I think about it, I love the bass too. 
Cliff Diving: It's like a fun little summer song, but the chorus is sort of a letdown
Weatherman: Again I prefer the acoustic, and I don't really like the album version that much
No It Isn't: Ok song. 

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1- Chapter XIII: 10 years ago this song would have been my number 11. But it is such a grower. The desperate lyrics of how a boy goes all out for a girl is a crazy story. I love how the live version starts with the bridge and they break into the intro from there. The guitars in the intro are so great, and I love how they change to the jumpy notes in the verses. Marks verses here drive me crazy. I think that they are the best verses he's written to date, and the chorus is very close as well. I think that the chorus part, "softly dreaming", may be where he sang his highest. That, or in No, It Isn't (the high part during the last chorus where Carol's part was on the demo). The song sounds like it is creating a 2 hour movie over 5 minutes. It drives me crazy how there is so much to think about in the verses and the chorus that its crammed into one song. I want to see this song played out in a movie or read it in a book, it's amazing. Travis kills it in the chorus's and the guitars are madly all over that it's beautiful. The breakdown in the bridge is a clear "fuck you", but it's sad as well that it won't feel any better. The acoustic guitar and acoustic bass at the very end of the song, and album, contrast the loneliness of the album. From a killer, hard rock, in your face opener like Lycanthrope to the lonely, distant feeling of the last minute of this song to close the album, it shows how much of a rollercoaster this album is. If you let it, it will take you on an incredible journey. 

2- No, It Isn't: This song will be a memory in me forever. I remember checking the official (+44) website daily for updates or new song lyrics or a new picture. When this song appeared on the site, on Tom's birthday, I was floored. How could it not have been a shot at him. I loved the move. Every word Mark sing's sounds like a letter he is writing. Travis's drums are so calm and chill until that last chorus comes in. I like how they added the guitar solo in the finished version. I remember ordering a white shirt from their website and was so excited when I got one of the No, It Isn't demo CD's included. I put that into my iTunes and played the shit out of it. It was actually on repeat for days. Hearing Carol harmonize with Mark at the end is amazing. I remember seeing the short clip of them recording this song on Meet The Barker's and the air in the recording studio is so subdued, nothing like the Untitled sessions. Hearing how Mark sounded without Tom for the first time was great and it still gives me chills. This song still holds a bit of me that really wants another (+44) album, or just more new Blink stuff that will go in this direction.   

3- Lycanthrope: This was the first song I heard from the band, aside from the No, It Isn't demo with Carol. This song blew me away. Mark's scream in this song is fantastic. It's nice to hear Craig on the chorus's too. Its so fun to hear Mark go for it and just write a hard song about everything being so fucked up. The lead guitars sound very Werwolf-y as well which is so cool. I remember getting a rip of the song from the 44Disasters forum and having it on repeat for weeks. Such a good opener for the album too. Just make sure when you play it that you're speakers aren't already turned all the way up. 

4- Lillian: One of the most honest songs I think Mark has written. The song sounds so much like a plea to just take everything that a person can offer. It feels like he is giving up and is just willing to fall in line. I know he said it is about a lady from San Diego but the great part about music is that we can interpret it how we want and everybody can relate to it on different levels. The acoustic guitars in the verses are perfect and they keep the song on the brink of sad and desperate. This has a classic Mark bridge, which I love. I remember seeing a video of their first show and this song hung onto me for so long. Seeing Mark take center stage with his pink bass with the Finland flag sticker on it, I knew everything would be ok after the Blink breakup. I think this song is in 6/8 as well which is neat. 

5- Baby Come On: Another staple song of what the band wanted to be. The guitar synth parts and the jumpy guitar sounds in the verses make this a very fun song. I love the songs where Mark writes about a girl because it tells such a great story. It's a very relatable song. Kaleidoscope reminded me of this song, but I'm very glad I didn't hear Tom on the chorus of Baby Come On because that would have been tragic.  The acoustic version is great as well, and I love how that one is in a different key. It strips the song down but takes it to another level at the same time. 

6- Little Death: I love the verses where Mark sings the low and high octaves. I remember another interview where he said during the recording for the album, he sang the highest and lowest he's ever sang on an album. I think the low octave on the verses is down there for him. This song is a great one to just stare into space with your headphones on. The heavy chorus compliments the softness of the verses that you can't help but get goosebumps when that chorus just punches you in the face. 

7- When Your Heart Stops Beating: This song is one that encompasses the essence of the band. Synthy guitar sounds in the intro, heavy bass and drum with chugging rhythm guitars. The recipe for (+44). Mark sounds great in the verses and I love the breakdown in the bridge. I love the effects on the bass in the second verse as well. A very fun title track that they seem to love to play, especially when Travis goes so hard in the video shoot he breaks his arm. Either that or all of the drugs he was taking at the time. This is another reason why his book "Can I Say" is such a great read. 

8- Make You Smile: Another road sign that may have paved the path for the first three piece incarnation of (+44). I loved hearing Mark and Carol sing together through the song and I think it would have been very cool to see them do it live. May have made a great single had they gone in the original direction. 

9- 155: I would have liked to hear more of the electronic vibe that they started the band with and I feel that this song is a good indication of where it could have gone. I loved how Mark and Tom would do the call and answer parts in Blink songs, but this song made me happy that it was just Mark doing it on the chorus's here and that Tom would not be missed. 

10- Weatherman: Loved Mark's interview where he compared this song to Adam's Song. The one where he wanted Adam's Song to wrap up on a happy note and not be too depressing, but with Weatherman he just wanted to write a flat out dark song. I think its clear that a lot of the songs written for the album came from the last days of Blink and that this song came from the core of that. I love how they kept Carol's part on the last chorus in the song. 

11- Cliff Diving: A quick, fun, straightforward pop-punk song. It paints a nice summer picture and tells a cool story of a 3 month summer vacation love. I do find myself listening to this song the least though. 

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On 16/05/2017 at 1:04 AM, MattSkibbasuxatguitar said:

Oh shit, I'm obsessed with +44 and didn't even realize No it Isn't was dropped on Tom's birthday...  where the fuck was I?

This band just got even better and I didn't know that was possible!!

This album is perfection honestly

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Don't have time right now to rank them, but Chapter 13 is my favorite song of all time. Gives me the chills everytime I hear it. The story is great, lyrics are phenomenal. "My best laid PLAAAANNS" builds soooo much anticipation. I think that may be the only song that can actually bring a tear to my eyes.

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