Heaven sent!
Okay, so let's get it out of the way from the beginning. This is not a re-incarnated Blink 182. And yes, if you found Tom Delonge's vocals annoying in Blink, then guess what? Yes, you will still find them annoying! So is it an updated version of Blink side project Box Car Racer? Well yes and no. The deeper, darker and more thoughtful lyrics, along with the not-so-catchy hooks is definitely leaning toward the aforementioned band, however it's now been cultivated into more of a driving direction, carving its own niche of originality.
The all familiar guitar work from DeLonge starts off on 'The Adventure' like an old friend's warm smile, as former Box Car Racer guitarist David Kennedy riffs his way into the picture. The intelligent and sometimes more creative drumming of former Offspring drummer Atom Willard perhaps shows that sub-consciously DeLonge has picked a drummer very similar to Mr Travis Barker, and in my book there is no higher compliment. The final piece to this puzzle is former Distiller's bassist Ryan Sinn, so when the chin-wagers of the popular music press harp on about former Blink this, and Tom DeLonge that, it is worth noting that each of these musicians have had success in their own right.
'The Adventure' will of course always have comparisons to Box Car Racer mainly due to Tom's original and very distinctive voice. This is of course a voice that has the ability to add melody when the song would not normally have one - a great addition to thrust a band into the faces of an MTV nation. The song's slow and to the point and it's a great opening song and taster of what's to come.
Blink 182 were always going to have a shelf life, and with Angels & Airwaves Tom and his cohorts have pulled together a band that can't be labelled as teen pop/punk whose lyrics are made up of rhymes of poop and fart jokes. The music industry is a serious business, and Angels & Airwaves are now in a position to live up to the hype and be a seriously great band.