Blink-182’s album, “Nine” is emotional, dark, and important to today’s world -Review

There has been a lot of criticism over the latest singles of blink-182’s upcoming album, Nine. From the surface, it seems like a dramatic sound shake-up with pop-like singles such as “Blame It On My Youth” and “I Really Wish I Hated You”.

Let me be the first to say it; the singles did not represent this album in the best way and certainly didn’t do it justice. Apart from the five singles, this album reaches dramatic new heights with dark lyrics from Mark Hoppus, melancholy inspirations, melodic vocals from Matt Skiba, and refreshing drum tracks from Travis Barker. For the most part, this was the bravest endeavor blink-182 has gone on since 2011’s Neighborhoods.

The record does a fantastic job of covering the issues of depression, being lonely, longing to bring back the past, and a ton of anger. However, there’s a lingering story-telling of bad relationships shown throughout the album. Sensibly, it seems like blink-182 is ready to tackle issues more important than themselves.

The First Time

“The First Time” is the opening track on the album, featuring an introduction that immediately brings you back in time to blink’s lead single “Feeling This” from their untitled record. The song seems like it could’ve fit on California, but it’s fresh and dynamic in a way where it’s more mature in construction. We get fun new lyrics about how there’s nothing better than your first love, your first high, and how you’ll never get it back.

It’s a great opening to this album, as it instantly grabs your attention and keeps you interested in the other 14 songs on the record.

Happy Days

As Mark Hoppus said with Zane Lowe, “It’s about coming from a place of frustration and anger and saying fuck it, and just saying ‘I wanna go to better times, I wanna be in a better place, I’m gonna leave all this shitty nonsense behind and find my zone.”

“Happy Days” is an important track from Hoppus, who has seemingly been struggling with feeling happy in such a hostile environment we all live in today. If anything, this is the most topical song on “Nine”. In this day in age, all you hear about is tragedy and all the awful things humanity brings us. Right now, I think we can all agree we just want happy days.

Heaven

“Heaven” is the first dark track on the album. For the most part, it’s about death. Lyrics such as, “Angel wings at the bus stop, halos left on top of the bar” seem to be related to the growing trend of school shootings and other mass murders in our country. It’s a serious track with melancholy lyrics followed by sad-sounding guitar riffs.

No one deserves to get their life taken away from them. The lyrics, “Heaven doesn’t want me now” prove that. Could we get anymore emotional?

Darkside

Ah, our first love song! “Darkside” was the fourth single off of this album, featuring the story of a guy who falls in love with a bad girl. No matter how bad her antics may be, he’s going to go to the dark side and do whatever it takes to be with her.

This was the first dynamic single we heard, where the song wasn’t too depended on beats, rather on Barker’s drums and the vocal effects. There are multiple instances in the song where the drums carry the lead and the overlapped vocals do justice by changing the tone of the song.

Blame It On My Youth

Here it is. By far the most questioned song on the album, “Blame it On My Youth” appears to sit more in the pop-genre of music, but it nevertheless still sounds like blink-182. This track is a reminiscent song about blaming your past for who you are today, but owning it.

No one grows up perfect, especially everyone in blink-182. They explain who you cannot break them or change them. They are who they are and they’re not letting that go.

Nobody is perfect. We are who we are and as long as you own that, you’re going to be just fine.

Generational Divide

“Generational Divide” is the most punk track blink has written in a long time. Between the fast guitar riffs, Barker’s impeccable drums, and the edginess of the lyrics, you feel the anger built into the members.

It seems like the band was tackling the issue of people criticizing their new sound and lashed out at the hate, but the members have disproved that (good PR move). Although the song is only 49 seconds long, it cuts deep.

Run Away

“Run Away” is another song that defines blink’s new sound. The songwriting in the versus, as well as the melodies are refreshing and need a double-take when you first hear it. The only time you hear any guitar is in the chorus, as the versus and pre-chorus are lead by piano and drums.

The lyrics define how someone doesn’t want their girlfriend to run away from them. Once she leaves, he can’t get her out of his head.

Black Rain

Get ready for depression and frustration. Following the previous track, this is an angry reaction of being left behind by someone. “Black Rain” is fast-paced in the verses describing how angry someone is that they were left alone. however, the chorus brings you back with the loneliness and sadness plaguing someone’s heart.

In the final chorus, you’ll get a melodic mix between the verse and the chorus, bringing the song together in dramatic fashion to formulate exactly how it feels to be all alone after a break-up.

I Really Wish I Hated You

IRWIHY went through many iterations, according to the band. In an interview with Wendy Rollins from ALT 1057, Matt Skiba joked to Mark Hoppus, “I really wish you’d never wrote that”. It’s a song about wishing you felt resentful about someone. You wish they were hurting like you and you can’t stand the thought of them without you.

This track reminds me of “Bottom Of The Ocean”, with it’s weird effects. It’s an entirely different song, but it gets the emotional-vibe across perfectly. Not to mention, the ending chorus with Matt Skiba singing gives goosebumps.

Sometimes, you need someone to help pick you up (like they used to).

Pin The Grenade

“Pin The Grenade” is the most blink-182 sounding-song on the album. If 2003 had a baby with 2019, this sound would be their love child.

It’s pop punk at it’s finest, with a catchy chorus that makes you want to get up and dance. Like a majority of the songs on this record, it covers the topic of a girl and not wanting her to let you go. The lyrics speak about wanting her to “pin the grenade” and last as long as you can until you eventually blow up.

If you’re not a fan of blink’s new sound, give this song a chance. Trust me.

No Heart To Speak Of

NHTSO is Skiba’s highlight on the record. Here, we’re given a huge Alkaline Trio vibe in a progressive manner. Skiba is angry, hurt, and shows off his devastation over a break-up. It’s a melancholy masterpiece with high-pitched vocals and melodic guitar riffs.

Listening to the instrumentals and a screaming Matt Skiba make you want to break a chair over your television and throw it out the window. The emotions are tangible and get you fired up.

Upon first listen, the name of someone who broke your heart will immediately pop in your head.

Ransom

“Ransom” was produced by John Feldmann, Tim Pagnotta, and The Futuristics, consisting of Alex Schwartz and Joe Khajadourian. The song only 1:25 long, but shows off the diversity and abilities of the band.

It’s a fast-paced song that seems like a follow-up from California, that’s for sure. The song is a nice mix of hip-hop and pop punk, but is more of a story if anything. It seems to describe the tale of a sour-relationship that can be compared to a kidnapping. The lyrics, “now she’s holding him from ransom” kind of signify this.

It may be a short song, but it’s definitely one of the most creative story-telling wise on the album.

On Some Emo Shit

This song is definitely emo. The melancholy lyrics seem to depict the idea of someone’s girlfriend committing suicide. The narrator seems to have a hard time coping with it, as he still has her missing poster still hanging in his room, despite his friends telling him to get rid of it.

The song has some hip-hop influences with the synths in the background, but the melancholy guitar riff carried throughout the song slightly change the narrative. Without being too sad, it’s definitely a song that makes you think about losing someone to suicide, or almost feeling like they’re dead because you’re so far apart.

Not to mention, the ending of the song really brings you together and punches you in the heart.

Hungover You

“Hungover You” is another hip-hop pop punk song about drinking over a break-up. As the title says, the narrator is still hungover a significant other and can’t stop drinking the pain away.

This track is very experimental. It changes pace and tone through the versus and chorus, which is odd. It seems like there was a tug-and-drag when writing the song and it can’t necessarily find it’s place. Nonetheless, it’s still a good song, just not the best on the album.

Remember To Forget Me

As the closure on the record, this song perfectly sums up the melancholy message sent by blink-182. Arguably, “Remember To Forget Me” is the saddest song on the album. As an acoustic song, it does a good job at pulling at your heart strings. However, it’s followed up by a fantastic hip-hop beat that perfectly creates a flow for the song.

It’s a song about touring, leaving home, and going out on your own. It’s about being scared to be thrown out from the nest and proving yourself in life, which is for the most part, what every band member has to do sometime in their career.

Sometimes, the fan can take over and your past becomes invisible. The lyrics, “Hey mom, I’m on my own. Scared to death and far from home… can you imagine that?” seem to deliver that message and take home the message

In conclusion, this album is some of the most daring and adventurous work done in blink-182, and that isn’t a bad thing. Forget the opinions about the singles of this album. They do not represent the whole product and certainly don’t do it justice.

This record is the culmination of what the world is experiencing and how the band members are reacting, as well as some fun to cope with it along the way. Arguably, this may be some of the bands’ best work since Neighborhoods.

Listen to Nine on September 20th. You can preorder the album here.