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California Deluxe -- Reviews/First Impressions


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Even the word 'peaking' drives me fucking insane ... worst part of DIY recording is keeping shit from peaking, laying down a perfect track and then finding out you have to redo it because you peaked the fucking mic.

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12 minutes ago, Speedo said:

Even the word 'peaking' drives me fucking insane ... worst part of DIY recording is keeping shit from peaking, laying down a perfect track and then finding out you have to redo it because you peaked the fucking mic.

Hahah yeah thats the worst. 

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1 hour ago, Speedo said:

Even the word 'peaking' drives me fucking insane ... worst part of DIY recording is keeping shit from peaking, laying down a perfect track and then finding out you have to redo it because you peaked the fucking mic.

My God, I laid out a whole track on vocals once, only to figure out a little too late that it was peaking. Pissed me right off. Had to redo that shit.

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Listened to this in order at the gym on full blast and I fucking love it all. I have actually grown to like Parking Lot quite a bit, and I was surprised at much I enjoyed Wildfire. I have so much more respect for "Hey I'm Sorry" now as well. 

The highlights to me are 6/8, BOTO, LTH, LLF, but I dig them all. There's really something for everyone on here.

So glad I have another Blink album to blare all summer, fuck Tom. 

 

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Right, because that's what we all decided when we were fans of the band, that we hope Tom turns it around and smooths out his voice.  Tom's rhapsy voice was a reason we liked Blink, it was Punk flavored and edgy, while Mark was the smooth and catchy one. It made a unique contrast.  

That's why I like Skiba on LTH so much...he has that raspy voice he is capable of, and it contrasts with Mark's deep tone in the song so well.  The both smoothed out clean tones together can stay away, that isn't Blink feeling to me.

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23 minutes ago, LastTrainHomefangirl said:

Right, because that's what we all decided when we were fans of the band, that we hope Tom turns it around and smooths out his voice.  Tom's rhapsy voice was a reason we liked Blink, it was Punk flavored and edgy, while Mark was the smooth and catchy one. It made a unique contrast.  

That's why I like Skiba on LTH so much...he has that raspy voice he is capable of, and it contrasts with Mark's deep tone in the song so well.  The both smoothed out clean tones together can stay away, that isn't Blink feeling to me.

Woah buddy lol, never said Skiba's smooth tone is why I enjoy blink, I was just noting an observation. I totally agree with you that what made blink special was the unique contrast between Tom's more tenor voice and Mark's baritone range and I also agree a big reason why I am not the biggest fan of the Skiba-era is that sometimes on the first listen of songs I cannot tell if it is Mark or Matt singing certain parts. 

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As its out now, I listened on the way to work.

I really shouldn't have read other peoples impressions, because ya'll bastards set me up for a fall. 

I'm not giving a proper review until I've listened to it a few more times, I want to give blink the benefit of the doubt, but be warned, it's coming. 

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18 minutes ago, Kay said:

As its out now, I listened on the way to work.

I really shouldn't have read other peoples impressions, because ya'll bastards set me up for a fall. 

I'm not giving a proper review until I've listened to it a few more times, I want to give blink the benefit of the doubt, but be warned, it's coming. 

It's by no means perfect but I feel it's a step in the right direction. 

Feels like there is more substance to a lot of the songs.

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4 minutes ago, ...Dan... said:

It's by no means perfect but I feel it's a step in the right direction. 

Feels like there is more substance to a lot of the songs.

That I can at least agree with, sort of. I have major issues with it though, I just want to give it a good go about before judging it. 

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Parking Lot is still bad, Misery is still OK:

I really like the music in the chorus of Good Old Days, the verses were kind of annoying. I like some parts in the song and the back up vox are nice, still nothing special about the actual song though. Heard Don't Mean Anything last night. I do like the "Middle of the road" part, the drums re hella annoying. The "don't mean don't mean" is annoying as well. The bridge is alright I guess. Hey I'm Sorry verses are still great, this version does sound a bit different though. The chorus is still a letdown. The intro to Last Train Home is cool. Then the vocals come in and it's terrible. Jeez. The lyrics are ok, I guess. And I love the synth too. Still a pretty bad song. The eh-eh's are awful and I love eh-eh's. 

Wildfire is still wildfire. Give the Wildfire another spin, YOU JUST WON 50.000 dollars! Watch it burning in the wildfire! intro music comes in! Fuck, do I hate these drums. The verses on 6/8 are pretty good. The chorus is still kind of chill. I guess this song isn't terrible. The bridge is pretentious as fuck. Damn. Another song that starts up fine and just gets worse. Long Lost Feeling. sounds nice? I was excited to hear this song after all the stuff I read about it. Sure the hype didn't live up, but still a pretty nice song. The back up vocals are nice. Bottom of the Ocean is better than Los Angeles, I guess. Don't think I'd listen to this if it weren't a Blink song. The bridge of Los Angeles is better, I guess. Maybe these songs are equally bad. I forgot about this pregnant song. Oof. Bored to Death acoustic sounds nice. Still not the best song they wrote, but definitely not the worst since it came out.

Ranking

1 Hey I'm Sorry
2 Long Lost Feeling
3 Bored to Death (live)
4 Misery
5 Good Old Days
6 Don't Mean Anything
7 6/8
8 Last Train Home
9 Wildfire
10 Parking Lot
11 Bottom of the Ocean
12 Can't Get You More Pregnant

 

I really can't stand the drums (especially in the faster songs)! The distorted guitars sound awful most of the time, the vocals mostly sound uninspired. The best parts of the songs are usually the keyboards and pianos and the back up vox. Worst of all the melodies are for the most part really boring. 

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They actually did what we all wanted.....lol

- Less whoah\nana

- More angsty vocal tones and music

- Matt singing more like himself and also lower register vocals

- Little more experimentations with sounds

- Some fun guitar licks (nothing crazy...but its in the record)

I am very grateful for that. don't care if they listened to cali feedback or went with their own instinct. But thats awesome.

The production is a taste. I love these kind of productions for poppunk. But i would've liked it to be 20% less filled with compression and everything. Just a little more breathing tracks. But atleast it sounds full which i love. I hope this is a bridge record.....I think we all hope for that.

Happy blink fan man :)

 

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It's about equal to California in terms of quality. Insofar as they were hoping it sounded like a second disc to a singular album, they succeeded. Insofar as they were wanting to continue to evolve and take "the sound" new places, they also succeeded. There's more going on musically on this record. But the songs are slightly catchier on the first disc. So whichever you prefer.

"Misery," "Long Lost Feeling," "Good Old Days," and "Pregnant" are the standout songs to me.

The bridge to Misery is amazing - it's one of blink's best moments. It makes the whole thing worth it.

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Hmm. okay. I've listened to it a few times now, these are still very much initial impressions. I imagine my opinion will change over time, it did with some of the first California tracks, but currently this is how I'm viewing them. 

EDIT - just realised how long it was, so it's in a spoiler now haha. 

Spoiler

 

1. Parking Lot 4/10 - It's not the worst song ever, I don't think it's even the worst song in the California era. it isn't good, but it doesn't annoy me so much that I can't listen to it. I hate the modern-pop-punk guitar chug, but I like the tempo, I like Matts energy, even if the lyrics are abhorrent. Mark's verse makes me squirm a little. The na nas are annoying but I wouldn't say get rid of them completely, just only have them the last time or something. I'm not big on the bridge in this one either, I appreciate them trying to sound heavier with the gang vocals and the booming drums at the start but to me it just doesn't work. but at least this song isn't "adams song riff x ten" like half the others on deluxe, so a plus there I guess. It's not horrific, I prefer it to Sober, I won't switch it off all the time if it comes on. 

2. Misery 3/10  - Musically, this song doesn't bother me *too* much. the changing root note riff that Matt is currently obsessed with is already annoying, but apart from that it musically does it's job fine, I guess. nothing offensive about it, it's the same progression as basically all of California but hey, since when was that a valid argument? Lyrically I find this song really irritating. it doesn't really mean anything, it's a general song about the concept of being miserable without any cause or point. It's like someone going "oh man, we should write a song about being sad! lets use some sad sounding words and metaphors and there you go bish bash bosh song done". I do have to give this song props for the bridge, it's a pretty good bridge. I like Mark's "ohs" too, it's a little different. the repeated oblivion thing is annoying but I get why it's there so I don't mind so much. the biggest argument I've always had for this track though is that it's boring. it still kind of is.

3. Good Old Days 5/10 - The verses are okay, I don't like Mark voice in the verses much, I keep thinking it sounds like something from RENT for some reason. I can't understand a goddamn thing he's singing in the chorus, it's a blur of mumbling as far as I'm concerned, I haven't noticed this on any other track but I've heard this song four times now and I can't for the life of me make anything out of the chorus apart from "these are the good old days". They've used the same harmony style from BTD like 2 or 3 times in these songs too and its more obvious on this one. It's getting old. the whole "we're not growing up" cheesy childish aspect of so many of these just gets more and more grating the more you hear it. But its not as obnoxiously teenagery as Parking Lot, and I suppose it's not as boring as Misery, so it ranks slightly higher. 

4. Dont Mean Anything 6/10 - Seriously, seriously that riff again. I can complain about the kid lyrics again, but I actually like how it sounds on Matts verse. Although the fact that both of them sing "without chew" irks me. The Simple Plan chorus is hysterical but it is at least a little different to the others (except for the BTD harmonies, again). the weird little Matt yelp before the second chorus also makes me laugh. It's musical unremarkable but not as annoying as some of the others. I will probably never like the bridge though, you can't fall to a surface Mark, unless your jumping off a ladder onto a table top, I get the "fall to" and "fall back" idea but it just sounds dumb to me. I actually prefer this one to most of the tracks we were subjected to before hand though, so that's a plus. it's definitely better than a lot of the typical California tracks. it manages to be poppy without being completely saccharine so that's cool. 

5. Hey I'm Sorry 7/10 - This song has actually gone down in my estimation. I used to really love it for the verses, but upon relistening I'm finding the amount of whoas and the chorus to just tip the balance into more negative territories. I appreciate that this song actually has a point, unlike most of the earlier ones and I do like some of the instrumentation more than others, it is a good song but the whoas and the chorus just kill it for me. so much potential, but it had to have a catchy chorus didn't it! must have that whoa hook! totally dilutes the tracks significance. 

6. Last Train Home 7.5/10 - This song was so disappointing considering how much praise it got. The riff is rooted in the same issues as the other but has enough variance to be interesting. Matts vocals are great on the track, it's definitely more interesting musically than others, but it has some issues for me which I can't really look past. For a start, coming straight after Hey Im Sorry, the choruses are the same progression, to the point where I accidentally sang "hey im sorry I lost the memory" along in my head when Mark comes in with the "the only time I feel alive" line. I'm not saying the melodies are similar, they aren't, it's not the same tempo either but because they're so structurally similar next to each other it was a natural progression to me. This might be more of a sequencing issue, or just a me thing, but it shows the repetitive nature of their chord progressions lately. I think the bridge in this song is also pointless, like it sounds awesome when it starts but when the vocals kick in its just not really needed. It is probably the best chorus on the album I'd argue, which is hilarious as theres so little to it, but its a damn sight more memorable than most of them. It's a good song, it's definitely a direction I approve of from blink, but it's not the amazeballs tune I was expecting from the praise. 

7. Wildfire 4/10 - I've railed on this song already, I hate the lyrics, and the melody in the verses. The chorus is at least better than the verses, but that riff... again... and the general OTT "pop punk"-ness of it just grates me. Its just quite forgettable, like Misery and Good Old Days. also theres something so ridiculous about them singing about the underdogs coming home. It's hard to see them that way considering their career and history, and its especially hysterical to hear them singing about them not 'falling in line' and 'turning their back on the rules' considering how much they're working to a playbook with their latest music. I imagine thats not what they're talking about, but it sticks out to me.  

8. Six Eight 8/10 - Easily my favourite track still. I loved it on first listen and I still do. The chorus is a little bit of a let down but it still works. I love the drums, I love the lyrics, I love the darker side of it, I love Matts screaming. the talking bit is a little daft but apart from that it's easily my favourite track from all of California. It doesn't sound like blink though, or +44, or alkaline trio really. it's just a cool song. if this is what Mark and Matt combined sounds like more authentically, than I'd be down for more - but I doubt that would happen.

9. Long Lost Feeling 6/10 - Hello changing rootnote riff! This is the only deluxe song I can think of where the chorus isn't the obvious punchy pattern, but it just means that on the first listen I couldn't tell the verses and the choruses apart. I really dislike the delivery of the line "long lost feeling" from Mark, it just sounds weird. I do appreciate more moodier sounding blink but the effect on the drums combined with that same fucking riff might be the most irritating part of the whole album for me. I really like the bridge on this one though, very simple but quite effective. Matt sounds quite good on this track too. It's definitely nowhere near as bad as say Misery or Wildfire but I don't see it becoming a track I go back to a lot. Also, drums in the intro, anyone else hear Homegrown's "Your Not Alone" ? just me? 

10. Bottom Of The Ocean 6/10 - It's... different. I hate the pop-dancey drum effects. the guitar in the underneath of the chorus sounds really similar to Los Angeles, at least I think thats what I'm hearing. This mostly just makes me think of that "LIGHT EM' UP ON FIIIIREEEEEE" Fall Out Boy song to be honest. I'm up for blink experimenting, I'm up for weird, I'm up for dark, but this is a bit more... dance floory than I like. I love the bass on this track though! and the energy in the chorus is quite infectious so there's that. It definitely has more going for it than other songs on the record but its a bit like "oh, uh, what?" really. 

11. Cant Get You More Pregnant N/A - Can't really comment. it's not as good as Built This Pool or Bohemian, its just needless. I do at least find it a little daft and funny but it doesn't need to be a track on it's own (it's also very similar to Parking Lot guitar wise) it could have been tacked on the end of something or just not included at all. 

12. BTD Acoustic N/A - Not really rating this one because I don't like Bored To Death as a song in general. I've always thought it was dull as hell and I still struggle to understand it's appeal. It's such a weak song lyrically, thematically, melodically, it's just a bit naff. the acoustic is nice to hear with the audience, and it makes the song more palatable but its far too basic to be a decent 'acoustic' version of anything, due to how they've arranged this version it just highlights how fundamentally boring the song is to me. 

 

Overall - 

It's not something I can say I enjoy overall. For a general blink-182 album it's pretty bad, but compared to California it is a slight step up and in the right direction - to an extent. Ultimately the simple root-note-changing riff is so over used at this point that it's infuriating. there's so many other elements that are just repeated like lyrical themes and harmony patterns, guitar rhythms, chord structures... it's frustrating to see blink-182 writing 28 tracks, when 20 of them are littered with the same basic ideas and are practically interchangeable. 

I do think the slightly heavier subjects, the slightly darker touches are an improvement but only because I personally prefer more melancholy music. Those songs still suffer from those same issues, and if they never address and overcome them then I don't see it getting any better. However they've stepped back a bit since the last record on the reliance on nas and whoas (only a little) so maybe they will recognise these issues and improve on it? 

I like Matts vocals on a lot of these new tracks, Marks bass work is pretty good, and I think the songs feel a bit more rounded out than the original California press. Nothing horrifically annoys me like Sober or SOOHM did, so it's definitely better than the first disc but I can't say I'm particularly enthused by it. Theres obvious production problems, I can't really say they're better or worse than California. What I will say is Mark's vocals sound pretty damn bad on some of these, not necessarily the production but some of his delivery is just a bit... pants. he's fine in some, great in some, but then just plain bad in others. It's pretty odd.

Overall I'd give it a 5.5/10 it's passable, I can listen to it (which is more than I can say for California) but it's still nowhere near the quality I expect from the name blink-182. I think they're going in a slightly better direction, but it's still full of glaring problems that I can't see them moving away from if they want to stay in the mainstream poppy world. As long as the financial, marketing arm of blink is in full effect, we won't get anything as imaginative or personal as Self Titled or +44. If Mark and Travis and Matt are happy with that then we'll just have more of the same. It sucks but... well, at least it's not Sober. 

 

 

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