By CARLY BURTON
After the release of Blink-182’s Neighborhoods, one would think musician Tom Delonge would be sliding back in his seat, having completed Blink’s seventh studio album. This is not the case, as Tom’s side project, Angels and Airwaves have just released a film, directed, scored and produced by Angles and Airwaves. Their most recent event is a two disc soundtrack, which both share the name, Love. Was this just a hastily thrown together attempt to crank some money out of his separately acquired fan base, or is Delonge taking Angels and Airwaves seriously?
Angels and Airwaves, also referred to as AVA, has pleased their fans once again; the songs of the future and finding oneself are still embraced by both old and new fans of Tom Delonge. Love aligns with the plot of the movie: a sci-fi piece where an astronaut falls into a wormhole and meets God. The album is filled with countless effects, similar to the Angels and Airwaves seen in their beginning, though this album seems overproduced.
The editing in this album is overdone and it looks as if Delonge is overcompensating for the lack of time commitment and creative songwriting by adding a multitude of effects. Angels and Airwaves are now seemingly too reliant on heavy synthesizers and studio effects. Songs like “Hallucinations” and “Shove” are good songs on their own. The album as a whole, though, almost seems too uniform and the effects would have been more effective if used sparingly.
In “The Flight of the Apollo” it takes almost two minutes for the band to progress through the futuristic sounds and even hit the first verse. Once the track progresses, one is recaptured by a melody similar to the tone of “Secret Crowds” off AVA’s second album, I-Empire. The song’s lyrics describe feeling alone and hurting in a dark world and wondering the validity of a higher being.
The reoccurrence of God is clear throughout this entire album. Almost every songs’ lyrics can be interpreted to have a spiritual meaning, more prominently shown in “Hallucinations,” which is about feeling someone within and you don’t want the feeling to ever go away. The chorus rings, “Do you believe in hallucinations? Silly dreams or imagination?” which could be a reference to Delonges’ own beliefs, or the common mindset people have about believing in a God.
Angels and Airwaves has been successful in balancing effects with talent to create a fusion of rock comparable to that of Incubus or Pink Floyd, however this album crossed the line and appeared to be trying too hard. However with two very unique bands coexisting, movies being released, graphic novels being written, websites being created, songs being composed and touring, Delonge has more than enough on his plate and no one is overly disappointed with a few more effects in their songs than needed. (Four stars)