Stories from the pit, vol. 4
On blink-182, Box Car Racer and aging
Twenty years after blink-182’s best record (self-titled), the original trio returns on Oct. 20 with a new album. There will be dick jokes, sad songs, and power pop/punk. I guess this is growing up.
The best blink song isn’t on a blink record, but one of guitarist/singer Tom DeLonge’s side projects, Box Car Racer’s 2002 self-titled album. On this full-length, DeLonge got a little more aggressive and emotional at the same time. The album ends with “Elevator,” a sparse portrait of people watching someone jump off a building. “Let’s forget this/all move on,” the chorus says, before blink bassist/singer Mark Hoppus comes in for the second verse.
On “Elevator,” the trio sounded prime to be something more than the 20-year-old streakers we loved on MTV’s “TRL.” They could even be somewhat smart while remaining tuneful. “Elevator” is a peek at a band that blink nearly became—a more mature band that couldn’t sell nearly as many records but would be a cult favorite that O.G. punks could rally behind for a future reunion and headlining slot at Riot Fest.
Blink’s self-titled album was more evidence of this maturity. Yet, it was still watered down to fit the blink brand. You could hear each member bringing their best/more difficult stuff to the mix and wanting to do away with old associations. Hoppus pushes his limited range on “Go” and “Stockholm Syndrome,” while drummer Travis Barker brings in the tattooed friends from the Transplants gang for an interlude, and DeLonge brings his new aggro/emo to maximum display on tracks like “Violence,” “I Miss You,” and a collab with The Cure’s Robert Smith.
Those moments are hard to ignore, but digging deeper in blink’s discography is full of “hits,” misogyny, and immaturity—three parts of the band that remained core to blink before and after the self-titled breakthrough. All of that grows louder, so much so that when the idea of a new blink album does come around, I return to “Elevator”’s undeniable chorus: “Let’s forget this/all move on.”
More music notes:
Ed Stasium’s mix of The Replacements’ Tim took me down a Paul Westerberg hole. I found out he did absolute jams for the animated movie Open Season. How? What?
Listening to The Replacements reminds me of when I played in a band called The Diane Lanes. We played a show after The Replacements’ documentary screened. Drum sticks were thrown. Beers were drunk. It was a good time.
Speaking of aging, I’m not gonna listen to the Rolling Stones’ new album when Sticky Fingers exists.
The new Heatmiser comp from Third Man Records is excellent.
This version of “Christian Brothers” by Elliott Smith and Heatmiser is also excellent.