I will never forget the first time I heard this album. I was playing poker with a bunch of people on the floor of my friend Jeff's apartment. I was paying attention to the game, so I was only listening superficially, and I was so confused because I was SURE that it was blink-182 and that they'd drastically altered their style. All I could think of was how mature their music had suddenly become. When Jeff told me it was a group called Angels & Airwaves, I absolutely did not connect the fact that it really was Tom Delonge singing (just with a different group of musicians) until days later. I got such a positive overall feeling when I was listening to the album at Jeff's house, I had him burn it for me so I could listen a little more carefully.
Ever since then, I've just become more and more attached to the songs on this album. It's hard to believe this was a first-effort studio recording for them--it's as though they've been recording together for years. First of all, it's extremely cohesive. The songs somewhat tell a story (although not directly or obviously), and the tracks flow seamlessly from one to the next. At the same time, any one track can be listened to alone, without losing any meaning. The subject matter centers mostly around fear (and breaking through it) and love--two themes that are particularly timely with the war in Iraq going on now.
I absolutely love the opening track, "Valkyrie Missle." I have a tendency to have detailed visions while listening to music, and this song is a perfect example. Even if music is not a particularly visual experience for you, I think you will still be able to feel the apprehension and release the song creates. The lyrics are powerful and can be applied many different ways. The band created a short film based on this lead track--I highly suggest you check it out (I think music videos are so interesting, as they help clarify the artist's intentions). "The Adventure" fits in this same category with its rolling rhythm line and soaring, U2-esque riffs.
"Do It For Me Now," "A Little's Enough," and "It Hurts" are a little more moderately paced, all about love and/or heartbreak. All lyrically strong, it's helpful that the music is relatively uncomplicated and therefore not at all distracting. The background has a drive to it that just creates an amazing ambiance. This is the kind of music you want to listen to with noise-canceling headphones in the dark. I think every artist strives to give the listeners some kind of emotional response, and in my opinion, Angels & Airwaves was able to do that here.
The heaviest tracks are "The War" and "Start the Machine," both of which have some disturbingly realistic lyrics and definitely more musical intensity. They are perfectly interspersed with the rest of the song list, so there's a nice variety of slow, heavy, and upbeat.
Because I enjoyed the album so much and because it did successfully create that "feeling" I always search for when listening to music, I was incredibly excited to see them live. Live shows always just add a dimension to whatever I experience from a CD, and I had high hopes for their performance. When I did get to see them last summer, the acoustics were not all that great, and I'm pretty sure Tom was otherwise impaired... it just was not the fantastic experience I was expecting. I am looking forward to seeing them again--I figure now that their first tour together (all four members have been performing with other bands for quite some time) is under their belt, their performance will only become more professional and spectacular.
I just read on their website (www.angelsandairwaves.com) that they are working on a new album, so we'll all have to stay tuned and see what they come up with next.
Track Listing:
1. Valkyrie Missle
2. Distraction
3. Do It For Me Now
4. The Adventure
5. A Little's Enough
6. The War
7. The Gift
8. It Hurts
9. Good Day
10. Start the Machine
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