Music and lyrics Neighborhoods (Blink-182 album)

bassist/vocalist mark hoppus shortly before album s release. couldn t write happy song record, remarked.

stylistically, neighborhoods has been described alternative rock , pop punk. pre-release, album described band ambitious, weird, , expansive. music of album inspired each musician s tastes: delonge s contributions bear hints of arena , stadium rock, barker infuses hip hop drum tracks, , hoppus felt compelled weird indie rock. hoppus stated on goal album try many new things, remain catchy , poppy sensibility. lyricism of album influenced heavy events in each member s lives during latter part of decade, elements considered dark hoppus. band made sure produce few throwback songs recalling sound in mid-90 s.

though delonge hoped retain angst present in band s past work, wanted deliver in package s modern, using instrumentations , formulas launch different places music not three-chord pop-punk riffs. later felt album not progressive had wished: m thinking, why don t this? why don t create these landscapes? think should have been pushing ourselves, , trying push genre forward. likewise, barker felt delonge wanted music derivative of groups such u2 or coldplay, commenting, us, blink blink, man. want sound fucking blink-182.

hoppus wrote lyrics dealing breakdowns in communication , trust , tackled themes of isolation , confusion, these lyrics not specific of band s history. hoppus struggled writing upbeat, happy songs album , attributed dark lyricism heavy events occurring shortly before reunion. mtv news called neighborhoods bleakest thing blink have ever done, haunted specters both real — depression, addiction, loss — , imagined, noting constant lyrical mention of death in many tracks. album mixes electronic flourishes of +44 , laser-light grandeur of angels & airwaves mtv news called sound recalls nothing dark streets , black expanses, of suburban variety.