Old bands, new music

I’ve only very recently started listening to one of the newer Blink 182 albums, Neighbourhoods. Upon reflection I feel that I was avoiding it because of fear that my once beloved favourite band had changed into something which I might not like.

The truth is that I now love the album. It’s different, but at it’s core it’s still the same whiney voiced, crazy lyriced punk rock music which I fell in love with in my teenage years.

This feeling has again come back to me with the recently new release of the album Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino by Arctic Monkeys. The album has seemingly been derided on social media (admittedly that isn’t a scientific measurement, go get your salt) - but also within my own social circles too.

Having not heard any other opinions on the album before I first listened to it, I went straight in with the optimism I had been filled with from my similar experience with Blink 182. The short story is that I think it’s a great album.

Their best work ever? Perhaps too early to tell at this stage, I suspect not. A stadium filler? A festival banger? Again perhaps not.

But a different flavour, a much needed experimental take from the now world famous band with their whacky lyrics and song names too long most people don’t even remember them.

It’s change. A permanent one? Again I don’t think so, in the same way other artists like painters go through phases, musicians do too. But us humans, we don’t like change. And in a world where everyone and their dog can voice their opinion online, it might seem like the whole world now hates this new album.

So heres one person at least putting their name down on the like list.