Enema Of The State,
Blink 182I don't care what anyone says about this album. Call them sell-outs, call them what you will. The simple fact is that Blink have produced one of those seminal records. Like 'Smash' and 'Dookie' before it, 'Enema' is just one of those once-in-a-while albums.
The punk purists have turned their back on Blink as a result of the success they've had from this release. OK, it's not as good as 'Dude Ranch', but to be fair it would have been very difficult to match the album which spawned the hits 'Dammit' and 'Josie.'
But it wasn't until MTV decided to play the nudity-fest vid that is 'What's My Age Again?' that Blink became overnight superstars. Truth is, funny vid or not, the song is just begging to be a hit, and quite rightly brought them into the mainstream. Everyone knows about 'All The Small Things' following its chart success everywhere, but what about the rest of the album?
Well, it's good. But, unfortunately, there are buts. It's not the most consistent record you'll ever hear. Whereas 'Dude Ranch' was superb without one bad song, 'Enema' does have songs that will make you reach for the skip button. 'Aliens Exist' and 'Mutt' are funny, but not the best examples of vintage Blink. 'Dysentary Gary' is truly awful.
'Enema' is clean. It's too well-produced. When 'Dude Ranch' hit the spot with its clean production, 'Enema' goes slightly too far. Layers and layers of polished guitar can be heard, and this takes away some of the sparkle. 'Cheshire Cat'-style production (i.e. made in a garage) this certainly is not.
But when they get it right, boy, do Blink hit the right note. Opener 'Dumpweed' is superb, followed by 'Don't Leave Me' which is a big standout track. 'Going Away To College' is excellent lyrically, as is 'Adam's Song,' which deals with teenage suicide. 'Anthem' and 'The Party Song' should also keep the old-skool Blink fans happy, with Travis Braker's drumming one of the most noticebale differences from their previous records. Fast and furious, anyone witnessing a Blink live show will agree that Travis is the talented member of the band. By far.
This is a different record from their previous offerings. Obviously Blink decided to take a stab at the mainstream, and 6 million album sales showed that it worked. But they've gained a lot of enemies (of the state) as a result, and it will be interesting to see what direction Blink take with their next effort.
Paul Savage
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