Rock band Blink 182 are back with a brand new album – but are they still on top form or do critics think they could have done better?
The Guardian: ** “There are a few spirited attempts to summon the adolescent irreverence of old, but generally this is a tired – and tiring – work.”
A.V. Club: “California is the sound of Blink-182 desperately trying to remain relevant by outsourcing its creativity.”
NME: *** “California is too long, but has the humour, pace, emotion and huge choruses of a classic Blink record. Mission accomplished.”
Rolling Stone: *** (half) “At its best, California shows Blink trying new ways to freshen up yesterday’s racket.”
Spin.com: “Ultimately, fortysomething Blink may be cursed by their early success and their genre of choice: For pop-punk bands, life is just too short to last long.”
Drowned in Sound: “California sounds like the work of a band filled with the joy of existence, giving in to every pop indulgence or production trick that could stuff in one more hook before the end.”
Louder than War: “The resulting record is their strongest since 2001’s Take Off Your Pants and Jacket.”
Evening Standard: ** John Aizlewood thought: “where they once sounded fresh and cheeky, after almost 20 years at the coalface, there’s an underlying weariness to all they do and these fortysomethings sound rather tired of being frisky teenagers.”
All Music.com: “the results are as catchy and enjoyable as anything they ever did in their youthful heyday.”
California is available to buy and download through Amazon now.