It’s been a year since blink-182 announced the return of guitarist Tom DeLonge and released their first single back together, “EDGING.” After a U.S. tour and four single releases later, they released their ninth studio record, “ONE MORE TIME…” on Oct. 20.
The record opens with “ANTHEM PART 3,” a song that firmly sets the album on track with Travis Barker’s iconic driving drums, grave bass lines and fuzzy guitar riffs. It’s a sequel track to “Anthem” and “Anthem Part Two,” which were both released over 20 years ago. It makes the statement: “blink-182 is back and better than ever.”
The next three tracks, “DANCE WITH ME,” “FELL IN LOVE” and “TERRIFIED” keep up the fast-paced nature presented in the opening track. “DANCE WITH ME” and “FELL IN LOVE” are very similar in production and overall lyrical content. Barker heads production on this record, and his producer mark is all over this record from the drum placements, guitar effects and overall tone.
The lyrical content is very light-hearted in comparison to some of the tracks on the latter half of the record. The members reminisce on their past with their partners, which can feel a bit cheesy at times, but it makes sense within the overall theme of the record.
The theme comes across clearly in the title track of the record, “ONE MORE TIME.” In an interview with Zane Lowe, the band talks about making this record and feeling as though they can be honest with themselves and the listeners while also being their silly, unapologetic selves. “ONE MORE TIME” is more serious as DeLonge reminisces on missing the band after he left in 2015, bassist Mark Hoppus talks about his cancer treatment and Barker mentions the plane crash he endured in 2008. It’s an honest track, and that honesty follows through the rest of the album.
The album picks up the pace again with “MORE THAN YOU KNOW,” “TURN THIS OFF!,” “WHEN WE WERE YOUNG” and “EDGING.” They sound very similar to the beginning tracks with heavy, reverberated guitars and driving drums. The lyrics take a turn, especially in “TURN THIS OFF!” with vulgar lyrics in a similar style to their 2001 song “Happy Holidays, You Bastard.” “WHEN WE WERE YOUNG” is a lot more melodramatic with lyrics that talk about their youth and reminiscing on old times.
“YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’VE GOT” takes it back down a notch with stripped-back instrumentals that sound similar to their song “Always” from their 2003 self-titled record. In this track, Hoppus goes further about his journey dealing with Stage 4 Diffuse Large B-cell lymphoma in 2021. It’s a very sentimental track with DeLonge and Hoppus sharing vocals during the chorus, and the backing harmonies bring out how heartfelt the song is.
The next two tracks, “BLINK WAVE” and “BAD NEWS,” are interesting in the grand scheme of the record. The “BLINK WAVE” instrumentals sound like ‘80s new wave with sparkling synthesizers and wavering guitar riffs. The lyrics are emotional, but “BAD NEWS” takes it a whole lot darker.
“BAD NEWS” talks about falling out of love with your significant other and feeling lonely in that relationship. The instrumentals for this song are more fast-paced with the drums having the forefront of the track. They’re both different tracks in different ways, but they work together to create the extreme opposite ends of the album’s sound and lyrical content.
After the album’s interlude track, “HURT (INTERLUDE),” the band goes crazy with the hyper pop-punk track, “TURPENTINE.” The lyrics are gritty and vulgar, yet honest and vulnerable. The vibe follows into the next track, “F**K FACE,” which has a dirtier punk vibe with grunge bass lines, crunchy guitar riffs and drilling drums. It’s another fast track that only lasts 27 seconds, but it makes its place well-known on the album.
The album finishes with two slower tracks, “OTHER SIDE” and “CHILDHOOD.” “OTHER SIDE” is a tribute to Robert ‘Noise’ Ortiz who passed away in May 2022. Ortiz was Hoppus’ bass tech of over 20 years, which Hoppus laments in the track when he says, “It’ll never be the same, stage right.”
The band continues to lament their past on the closing track where they ask, “Where did our childhood go? / I wanna know.” It’s a somber, yet uplifting track with an electronic-sounding beat and soft acoustic guitar. The album closes as the techno beats overlapped with Barker’s rumbling drums fade out into existence.
Overall, Blink-182’s “ONE MORE TIME…” is an honest album that details the highs and lows of the band over the past 30 years, with a focus on what happened between them since DeLonge left the band. Each member brings their all to each song, and their personality shines through abundantly.
They can be silly with raunchy lyrics, cheesy talking about falling in love and heavy with honesty as they talk about their struggles. In all, I highly recommend this record, especially if you’re a fan of the band. There are a few spots in the record that may feel overwhelming or underwhelming depending on the listener, but that does not stop it from feeling authentic and real.
Rating: 4/5
