- Artists:
- Angels And Airwaves »
- Label:
- Geffen »
So, the UFO-obsessed Tom DeLonge has sold 20 million albums or whatever as chief songwriter of the much-maligned Blink 182 but now he’s had a big quarrel with the others he has to start a new band. Ouch. Now what?
Now he gets some old mates from other ‘punk’ bands (Offspring, Distillers) and makes a less-than-super supergroup with them. Revolutionary. The problem they encounter is that the whole world sees the Yellowcards and Simple Plans as old hat. This nu-emo thing is so carefully styled – it’s something that takes a whole load more thinking about. One gets the feeling Tom ain’t too hot on thinking.
The plan is to make music that reflects their band’s name: Angels And Airwaves. So they hole up in some studio and watch space films and war books. It already sounds silly but it gets better. Tom’s daughter is called Ava. So is the abbreviated band name! AVA! They turned the ‘A’ in the middle upside down. Incredible. Seriously. Incredible.
I really just cannot believe that he’s getting away with this example of self-indulgence in quite such monstrous measures. Why isn’t it just called Tom DeLonge’s Band? Why is it called anything? Why is there anything at all? Hasn’t he got enough money now? Can’t he just go away?
Granted, DeLonge has seemed to become more ambitious in recent years but _We Don’t Need To Whisper _is maybe one baby step too far in the wrong direction. It’s a much more laid-back and 'mature' affair than we have seen played with both the impressive Box Car Racer material and also in the last Blink album but by aiming to sound like U2 and Pink Floyd, AVA ends up sounding like an emo version of an even more plodding Coldplay.
A lot of work has gone into trying to make this album something more credible; something that maybe Tom’s daughter can look back on and be proud of her father for. The grand textures and layered sounds hark back to the 1980s, and even before, when deeply atmospheric noodlings were commonplace and respected. Sadly, the world has moved on and it would take something truly special to make anyone but the converted sit up and take any notice. As it is, the sound is horrible contrived and is far from being a fresh, updated version of DeLonge's classic favourites.
After abandoning Box Car Racer after one album we can live in the vain hope that DeLonge is a man of trends and *AVA *is not here to stay. However, we must realise that he’s rich and bored now and he will keep inflicting this pain upon us.
Hint: Do away with Tom DeLonge and we do away with that hideous whine of his.
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Angels And Airwaves
AVA
so right.
eurgh his squakings send shivers up my spine.
I disagree
It's OKish...
The only...
..."Offspring" member in this is the drummer from Rocket From The Crypt (i.e. actually has talent). Why he's doing this I really wish I knew.
Emo U2
anyone?
What a review
I wonder how many emo tears are gonna fall when they realise this band is a pile of wank
yeah Atom Willard, he is a
fantastic drummer. I've not actually heard any of AVA is it really that bad?
these posts sadden me
both the angry man ranting and the lazy 'emo' referencing...
don't be angry, angry man, just because people have different opinions to you (which is, i believe, the source of the nazi reference - should have gone for 'fascist' there. Forum Posting 101 teaches us all that mentioning WW2 in any way automatically destroy an interweb debate).
and let's have no more talk of emo, the bastard sons of Jimmy Eat World killed Emo long ago and even though they parade around the bloodied rotting corpse, held together with sticks and suspended like a marionette we all know that it's dead now, so leave emo's corpse in peace and sit back and listen to some shudder to think and sunny day real estate and then maybe we can all be a little less angry - which would be nice...
I'm guessing
you like the band then? Alot, some would say you like them too much.....
:(
I expected more angry comments from American "Blink 182-kidz" than this :(
me too :(
although, look at their forum for several death threats against raz..
I know
It just sounds enticing.
he got
emails too. Raz told them he got sacked, and they believed it....
"I hope that sucker dies"
Gosh.
Kids today are horrid.
No wonder they're all packing knives.
Did anyone seriously think this wasn't going to blow?
Caught one of my nephews howling away to something from this album. Promptly banished him from the house. Let him torment the neighbors, says I. Oh yes.
I think
This is the first time I have ever disagreed with Raz. This album isn't great. It's good. To give it a lower score than Orson is mingin'. The fact that that score is two is bizzare.
I know who AVA Supporter could be
He posts onto this forum called ChCMedia under the name 'Lostprophet' and every other post he does, he endlessly wanks about how amazing AVA are (hint mate. theyre not). I actually copied the review onto the site and he had a huge massive whine over it. Ring any bells AVA Supporter?
I like it
more than I thought i would.
Still can't touch the last blink album though...
AVA @ The Astoria
Just my two pence on the subject...
I thought they were really good. Here is my review:
It is my moral obligation to inform you that last night I went to see Angels And Airwaves (the new band featuring Tom DeLonge from Blink 182) at the Astoria yesterday. They were good. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that I prefer his new music as opposed to the childish rubbish which Blink 182 were known to bash out on a regular basis. For those of you who know me, you already know that I prefer my music to be mature in terms of its outlook towards philosophy and life. I guess this is why I latched on to Angels and Airwaves' music, with Tom DeLonge's message still running through my head at this time in the morning...
"We can be whoever we want to be" .
I don't know if the path Tom has chosen to follow will yield longlasting rewards, but the messiahnic qualities which he now possesses will most definitely ensure to elevate his musical output from the standard genre bearers. And maybe... maybe we need a band like Angels and Airwaves more than ever. Maybe, now that pop and rock music have intertwined to form disposable garbage, we need a mainstream band to remind us of the serious issues facing humanity and the rest of the world.
That isn't to say that Tom DeLonge is a different person from what he appears to be on record. He still retains much of the trademark humour which made him so endearing when he was in Blink 182. And despite the serious overtones of his recent musical output, he still went out of his was to remind his fans that although he has a more mature outlook towards life, he hasn't really changed. And I think that is why we still love him. And sure, the band itself consists of a Whos Who of rock music, but if there was ever a band who needed to say something worth saying... than surely it's Angels And Airwaves.
Whilst some of the band's gestures may have come across as being overly contrived, it is worth mentioning that despite the relentless preaching within the music, Angels And Airwaves are an accomplished band worthy of your serious consideration. And whilst the band played a really good show, only time will tell if they happen to have a serious impact on our contemporary mode of thinking. And for that, Tom still faces an uphill struggle...
Four Stars
I also have a competition up. To enter, please come to my website:
www.godsavetheaz.com
.
anyone who likes angels and airwaves is a pure bellend.
ah.
i really like this album.
im giving it a 9 actually.
sort it out.
Miserable try
Let's make one thing clear.I'm not a fan of Tom DeLonge and I'm not a fan of his many bands.But this album contains some interesting music you want to hear after a long,eventful and hard day.Still this album lacks something special.Simply average record.
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