NINE is Blink- 182’s newest album and I must be honest I didn’t realize they still produced new music. They took a hiatus in 2005 and started releasing albums again in 2011. This is their third album release since ending the hiatus and like a lot of the other Pop/Punk bands, their new music is very different than what it used to be. The first time you listen to it you might have a hard time believing its Blink-182, especially if you are a fan of their older songs. It is clear though that they tried to fuse the style that made them famous in the 2000’s with the modern Pop style that most artists follow nowadays. That being said, it isn’t awful, but it also isn’t that memorable.There are two songs in particular that if you blink you’ll miss. “Generational Divide” is only 49 seconds but it is very high energy; it embodies the Punk side. It acts as a reminder of their past also while acting as a sort of joke due to the repetitive lyric “Is it better, are we better now”. It’s as if they’re talking to their fanbase and asking if they made the music that they used to if they’d be “good again”. It’s a fantastic blast to the past to the early 2000’s while also talking about how music evolves; if only it was more that 49 seconds. Another short song is “Ransom”which is also the only other one on the album that sounds similar to the Pop/Punk that we all grew up to while mixing it with some modern Pop. It’s a very fun track, but again it is fairly short compared to the rest of the songs and it also being about being stuck in a relationship which is what most of the songs on this album are about. Some other highlights that are worth a listen are songs like “Happy Days”. It’s another song that tried to fuse modern and old styles, it just doesn’t accomplish it as well as “Generational Divide” and “Ransom”, but it is still a fairly good song that has a very positive theme of trying to turn your life around and fighting your inner demons. Another good one is “Darkside” which is about sticking with someone no matter how bad they might be for each other; even though the theme isn’t the greatest, it’s very catchy and the chorus is infectious. The last “good one” is “Blame It on My Youth” due to its vibrant sound and high energy. The song is simply about having a tough childhood and that’s why they’re the person they are. Now as for the rest of the album, like I said before it isn’t bad but it also isn’t that memorable either. It is very similar to what a lot of the old Pop/Punk bands have been putting out recently, bands like Green Day, Weezer, Sum 41 and Fall Out Boy. Again, it’s not bad, but it’s not that original and is borderline generic compared to what the other bands mentioned have done recently. Overall, NINE isn’t too exciting, but the highlights, “Generational Divide”, “Ransom” and “Happy Days” are definitely worth at least a listen. Rating: 2/5
-By: Kelly Jones