Blink 182 Has A Bright Future In Its Sights

Hey everybody!! Let's step back to Blink 182's halcyon "All The Small Things" days. That little sojourn comes in the form of "No Future. What you liked and or respected about Blink 182 back in 1999 gets put on full display on this opening salvo from the new "California" CD. Drummer Travis Barker gets into a solid head space behind the kit. Not a single beat wasted. All in the name of high quality pop punk that catches the ear like nothing else can. Vocalist Mark Hoppus infuses "NO Future" with his patented brand of sassy punch that you can't help but be drawn towards. The lyrics echo the sentiment uproariously. A boy and girl speaking volumes about how the sun will rise despite whatever dumb decision they end up making between the hours of dawn and dusk. One moment's mistake leads to a lifetime's regret, no turning back expected or warranted. The female protagonist confesses how foolish it is to even try. All those demons just keep coming back to make a mockery of you anyway. The "na na na" sequences really bring "All The Small Things" back to mind. The need for speed exists in droves and, regardless of the downer subject matter at hand, Blink 182 has this resilience that keeps theie mindset somewhat sunny, as if those 1999 kids were very much alive and still TPing suburban lawns everywhere. Fairly new guitarist Matt Skiba has his octane set on high fuel, a point that keeps the proceedings lively as well. Back to the drumming. Travis maintains a laser like focus that serves this effort very very well. The harmonies keep right on glowing on through the aforementioned dusk referred to earlier. I admire how the beat jumps down the range of chords until the guys are safely at the bottom rung of delightful. "No Future" skips along in high electricity mode taking names and kicking butts wherever they go. How troubling it must be, as the lyrics say, to be "Wide awake from the dream with a shake and a scream." Must have been one heck of an awe inspiring nightmare. So how is it a tune so orange juice fresh squeezed with light can possess such dank, musty, hellishly sweat gland producing commentary? Therein lies the beauty of Blink 182. They can be chanting "Work sucks. I know." one decade and come back another decade spouting off about how apathetic others are to their decision making processes because no real future exists for them anyway. From the word go Blink 182 stays true to its roots and the dividends we as listeners reap are tremendous. "No Future" definitely has a bright future at rock radio. May their horizons be filled with constant brightness.