Angels & Airwaves is Tom DeLonge's stab at a career post-Blink 182. People wanting another All The Small Things, please exit now.
Everything about this record, from the vocal to the lyrics to the production, to even the sleeve, suggest a departure from Blink 182. And this is probably necessary. Even though the 182 released some fine music later into their career (see the delectable Miss You), their name is indelibly etched into the public consciousness as the creators of All The Small Things and odes to nudity, enemas and boobies.
Just like the masturbation and weed-obsessed Green Day matured into the craftsmen behind American Idiot's political ire, and the socks-on-cocks Red Hot Chili Peppers came to be regarded as brilliantly inventive funk-rock monsters, so should the members of Blink 182 be allowed to mature and develop in such a manner. Therefore, It Hurts is a step in the right direction.
This isn't immediately affecting but has a touch of poignancy in DeLonge's distinctive vocal, while the tidy guitar flourishes pepper the song with flashes of craftsmanship and complement the crashing chorus (with its emotive cry of "Your best friend is not your girlfriend"), which proves effectively that DeLonge still knows how to write a tune or two. Nothing groundbreaking, and the overtly American 'emo' stylings may put off some people, but it must be said that this possesses a maturity that may take more than a few people by surprise.
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