If you were somehow confused as to if Blink-182 still existed as an entity or not, you aren’t alone. Longtime singer and guitar player Tom DeLonge departed the band in 2015, and there was talk that the band had broken up entirely. Then drummer Travis Barker was talking about a potential new album in 2016 featuring Alkaline Trio lead man Matt Skiba. In fact, Barker talked about the reasons for the split with DeLonge and claimed that DeLonge had grown tired of the band’s vision and image as an eternally youthful band and wanted their music to grow up a bit. Barker explicitly cited a sound likened to Coldplay, which seems like quite a departure for the power pop punk band.
That should bring everyone up to speed with the Blink-182 drama. DeLonge wanted to grow up, while Blink-182 felt like the Lost Boys in Hook and that Peter Pan was abandoning them. I can’t say that I blame him, but how many bands have “evolved” and completely alienated their fans, only to then give up that new, mature sound to go back to their “roots?” At least Blink-182 knows who they are.
Imagine the surprise, then, that the band lives up to its word and releases a brand new track. The track, called “Bored to Death,” showed up on YouTube along with a link to pre-order their new album, California, due to be released on July 1st. As for the track itself, listen for yourself, because it surely sounds like vintage Blink-182 for a new generation of angst-ridden teens while staying true to their roots. Roots are good to stay true to.
