Blink-182 celebrates friendship, second chances and their authentic selves with their latest album “ONE MORE TIME….” Blink 182 blessed the fans with two new singles in September, which were put out to celebrate the announcement of their new album.

The band decided to release “ONE MORE TIME” as the first single because the song encapsulates what the album is meant to accomplish and what Mark Hoppus, Tom Delonge and Travis Barker went through throughout the years that made them what they are today. Even though this song is not the first album track, it prepared audiences for the recurring theme of speaking about the band members and their traumatic experiences  (break ups, divorces, a plane crash and cancer) just to have one more chance of being the best Blink-182 has ever been. 

The quietest member of the band – drummer Travis Barker – finally gets a chance to lend his singing voice to a Blink 182 song. He only sings a handful of words, but all of the band members singing on the bridge together bring another sense of collaboration to the song and the band. 

Their second single, “MORE THAN YOU KNOW,” starts with piano, which is a definite callback to the trio’s 2003 album “Self Titled.” The pre-chorus has Tom screaming a few lines, like how he did in “Stockholm Syndrome” on the 2003 album. This was not the only song that shared easter eggs featuring previous songs. Lyrically, Hoppus uses this song, as well as “DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’VE GOT” to talk about his experience with Stage 4 Lymphoma cancer in 2021. Hoppus had to re-learn how to sing well and play bass since he was out of practice for so long and the chemotherapy wrecked his voice. 

The album starts with “ANTHEM PART 3,” the first anthem song since their 2001 album “Take Off Your Pants and Jacket.” This anthem starts with the similar drum and guitar rhythms of “Anthem Part 2,” but different chords are heard. This third anthem is an updated, more mature version of Anthem Part 2. This song is about returning from the ashes of a traumatic experience and continuing on your path, regardless of the anxiety of falling again. 

The song “FELL IN LOVE” samples clapping and the synth melody from The Cure song “Close to Me.” Barker and Hoppus both created the drum beat and the bass riffs with the original song in mind. The lyrics speak about the euphoria from the beginnings of a relationship.

The band also decided to write a new wave song titled “BLINK WAVE” which consists of synthesizers and a fast and upbeat bass line that is reminiscent of The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven,” which is the song that made Mark Hoppus realize he wanted to play bass. 

A song that Tom Delonge and Travis Barker wrote for their band Box Car Racer, now titled “TERRIFIED,” was added to the album. Box Car Racer’s only album, which was put out in 2001, was monumental because post-hardcore songs replaced the iconic juvenile fun songs with heavier guitar riffs and more heartfelt meanings. “TERRIFIED” has dissonance, chord changes that break up the verses and the choruses and a vocal effect on Delonge’s singing during the chorus – all of which makes it a Box Car Racer song. This song was talked about for years and the two finally got to share it with the world.

“TERRIFIED” was not the only song from the past that received the green-light. Travis Barker brought a hardcore track from an EP he had made with Rancid’s Tim Armstrong, and it became track number fifteen on the album. Tom Delonge and Travis Barker can be heard singing in the twenty-seven-second song. 

The verses of the song “DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’VE GOT” were written by bassist Mark Hoppus and, like “MORE THAN YOU KNOW,” speaks about his traumatic bout with cancer. The drumming at the beginning of the song, paired with the piano and the guitar chords, sounds reminiscent of the song “Always.” Mark Hoppus sings the verses and helps match the depressive mood of the verse. He is also heard yelling in the back of the post-chorus, releasing all of his emotions like he did in “Adam’s Song.” 

They brought the emotional songs and then played nostalgic ones. The Southern California immatureness and playfulness that they have carried with them throughout their 30-year career were not abandoned for this album. It can be heard on “DANCE WITH ME” and “TURN THIS OFF!”

“CHILDHOOD” brings back themes of nostalgia into the album. The near-death experiences, the falling out between Delonge and the band and the act of growing up caused each of the band members to lose a part of themselves.  The last chorus of “CHILDHOOD” shows members Mark Hoppus and Tom Delonge reflecting on their past selves, providing genuine anecdotes about adulthood. Tom Delonge can be heard screaming in the chorus “Where did our childhood go? I wanna know,” as if he is actively and painfully searching for the livelihood he lost. 

Travis Barker did an excellent job of producing this whole album and bridging his production ability with his musicianship. This seventeen-track album provided much-needed comfort and closure, and I cannot wait to see what the new and improved Blink-182 will do next.