It's funny what six months can do for you. In the months following Blink 182's split in late 2006, most - if not all - music lovers turned their attention firmly toward the soon-to-ensue +44/Angels & Airwaves chart battle. Fronted by former Blink vocalist/guitarist Tom DeLonge, A&A's rather insipid mix of prog-rock and pop went down like a lead balloon, failing to come anywhere near matching the enigmatic frontman's claims that their debut was "the best album ever" and that his newly formed troupe would "change your life for the better".
Meanwhile, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker were slowly melding together the foundations of +44, a project that ultimately turned out more Blink than anything else, building - and at times surpassing - the slightly more mature sound of their former employer's final effort on debut album When Your Heart Stops Beating. Lifted from the said album, the title track is a brash bold statement of intent.
Mixing together the chunky basslines and fast guitars of old with a new found appreciation for some ol' electro influence. Coupled with Barker's trademark drum work and Hoppus' strangely intriguing vocal tilt, When Your Heart Stops Beating is one that's sure to satisfy those still enamoured by Blink's fine past, as well as able of opening doors to an entirely new legion of music lovers.
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