The year is 2015 and Tom DeLonge, founding member, lead singer, and guitarist of Blink-182 announces his split from the band to pursue other interests. In 2016, Blink-182 absorbed guitarist and vocalist Matt Skiba into their group to fill the void. With him, they released the albums California (2016) and NINE(2019) shortly after. Fast forward to 2021, the world wakes up to a message from founding member, vocalist, and bassist, Mark Hoppus. A diagnosis of stage 4 lymphoma put the band on pause indefinitely. That was until an October morning in 2022 when Blink posted a video to their YouTube channel. Standing beside a now cancer-free Mark Hoppus, was the band’s drummer Travis Barker, and founding member Tom Delonge. The boys were back together, and that could only mean one thing; new music was on the way.
The new album titled One More Time… was released on October 20th of 2023, and features 17 songs. This album feels like a culmination of all the work that Blink-182 has done previously except this time a new and more mature perspective has been added to the mix.
The album kicks off with a song that could make an original Blink-182 fan cry tears of joy: Anthem Part 3. It was so important for the band to choose this song as its album opener because it delivers the message that the boys are back together, and this time it will be for the long haul. This song hammers home the themes of recognizing old habits and rising above them. It also emphasizes the importance of pushing forward after you feel like you can’t take anymore. After everything this band has been through, this felt like a heartfelt salute to fans while saying “We are still standing.”
“A new high, a new ride, and I’m on fire. My old S*** ends here tonight.” – Blink-182
Continuing with the emotional and more heartfelt songs, this album leans heavily into the band members’ feelings on the split of the band, on Mark’s cancer diagnosis, and acknowledges past mistakes. Songs like Anthem Part 3, Childhood, and the album’s title track One More Time…bring the group to a more serious, and emotional place on this album.
That is not to say the album does not have more fun, and upbeat songs as well. In particular, Dance with Me, When We Were Young, and Blink Wave all have an incredibly fun and upbeat style that adds a nice flow to the album and keeps the pace of the album feeling good.
No Blink-182 album would feel complete without the inclusion of a couple of joke songs. Both lasting no longer than 30 seconds, **** Face, and Turn that Off! are incredibly fast-paced, and funny inclusions that break up the other content.
The only criticism I found myself thinking about on this album is that some of the choruses are incredibly repetitive. On four of the songs, I found myself wishing the choruses were shorter just because it was the same lyrics repeated over and over.
Overall, I give this album an 8.5 out of 10. Aside from the repetition, this album is smooth and flows in a way that feels like a return to the band that we know and love. After everything this band has gone through, it’s quite impressive how they took all that pain and compressed it down to something mature, and incredibly heartfelt. All the meanwhile remembering the band that they once were and not losing their silly side. It’s safe to say our three dumpweeds have grown up and come together again to create something incredibly meaningful, and even though the album is called One More Time…these guys are just getting started.
“And I know next time, ain’t always gonna happen, I gotta say I love you while we’re here.” – Blink 182
Picture Credit: Blink-182