Since longtime co-vocalist and guitarist Tom Delonge left for a second time in early 2015, Blink-182 has been chasing the classic carefree sound, trickled in with extremely heartfelt and deep songs, that made them big in their heyday of “Enema of the State” and their self-titled record. After two albums with an underwhelming Matt Skiba on vocals with vocalist and bassist Mark Hoppus, Delonge has finally returned for “ONE MORE TIME.” While the classic Blink sound is back, a larger mix of serious tones add a stronger feel to the album.
The band’s new album, “ONE MORE TIME,” was released Oct. 20 at the end of their most recent world tour, which lasted seven months and 59 shows.
The album’s opening track, “ANTHEM PART 3,” is a continuation of Blink-182’s new trilogy of Anthem titled songs. The track begins with a drum beat opener similar to 2001’s “Anthem Part Two,” connecting the songs in an even deeper way. The song includes their longest guitar and drum instrumental in the trilogy that draws out for 56 seconds and emits the nostalgia that the entire album evokes. The Delonge–heavy track includes vocals about not being complacent and breaking through the failures. While the childish humor is still there, the track sets the stage for the more serious themes of pain and loneliness throughout the album. Reminiscing seems to be what Blink is mainly focused on.
“DANCE WITH ME” and “MORE THAN YOU KNOW” feel fresh due to the band’s expanded use of rougher vocal tones, but at the same time, they show elements of the late ‘90s and early 2000s Blink-182 that have been missing in the previous two albums. “DANCE WITH ME,” an ode to the Ramones, incorporates a simple but effective “Ole Ole Ole” chorus that gives off an “All the Small Things” feel. The track incorporates much heavier vocal tones from Delonge and Hoppus that show the band’s development and eagerness to lean into the punk side of pop punk.
“MORE THAN YOU KNOW” leans into that same grittiness, telling the story of someone who is numb to pain and is going through a rough relationship. In the chorus, Delonge sings, “I feel a bit cursed / I’ve been numb and sinking down like a stone,” emphasizing the despair and helplessness expressed by the singer. The subtle start of the song into Travis Barker’s ruckus drums sets a perfect stage for a hardy track. The song masterfully plays with Delonge’s vocals, lowering them to match the chords of the guitars.
“EDGING” and “TERRIFIED” are classic punk songs that go back to Blink-182’s very first works in the early ’90s. “EDGING” skillfully combines Hoppus and Delonge’s vocals with mixes of Barker’s consistent drum play. The song feels like a ’70s punk band transported into the modern day with a blend of the rhythm of current pop tracks to create something entirely new.
“TERRIFIED” is the opposite of “EDGING” in that it tries to evoke the gritty vocals of ’70s punk, but production value and poor mixing ultimately fails it. The hard guitars and drums overshadow and drown out what should be a showcase of Delonge pushing his vocal limit. He sings about a detachment from his own existence and being “lifted past the skyline and no seems to notice my fall.”
“TURPENTINE” is one of the best songs of the album, showing off Delonge’s vocal range and the fast-paced punk feel found throughout the album. Hoppus and Delonge once again combine vocals in the chorus and Barker’s steady drumplay adds to the rising momentum of the track. The song explores the desire to better themselves, despite continuing to indulge in destructive behaviors, like drugs, alcohol and self harm. Delonge and Hoppus sing in the chorus, “A broken man a Frankenstein / What if my heart won’t recover? / I’ll clean myself with turpentine.” The chaotic combination of drums and hard guitar mixed with the lyrics give the opportunity for the band to have fun while also expressing dark topics.
The closing track, “CHILDHOOD,” is a more lighthearted track and tells of someone looking back on their past days. Melodic, psychedelic sounds dominate the beginning and Hoppus’ parts. Delonge sings at the tail end of the chorus, “I’d never thought we’d end up here / we’re back in time / to the best years.”
The title track, “ONE MORE TIME,” is the ultimate farewell track that exemplifies the state of the band and what they have gone through. The song illustrates the reunion of the band with the opening lyrics of “Strangers / from strangers into brothers / from brothers into strangers once again.” The most emotional song since “Adam’s Song” shows the band’s deep personal struggles even more in the lyrics sung by Hoppus in verse two, “I wish they told us / it shouldn’t take a sickness or airplanes falling out the sky.” This lyric referencing Barker’s 2008 plane crash which nearly killed him and Hoppus’ battle with cancer in 2021. The acoustic feel of the track adds to the emotion while Delonge and Hoppus’ synchronization for an “I miss you” at the beginning of the last verse puts the icing on the cake of a nostalgic and expressive song from the band.
Overall, “ONE MORE TIME” is a return to quality for Blink-182, while also being a direct love letter to the history of the band itself. The album leans heavily on nostalgia but also finds the right places to be serious and the right places to, as Delonge says at the start of “DANCE WITH ME,” “have fun with.” It’s a piece that leans into punk while pulling on the heart strings of fans that have been invested in the band since the early 2000s. A bittersweet reunion album is what the band promised, and they delivered.
