Neighborhoods (Blink-182 Album)
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''Neighborhoods'' is the sixth studio album by American
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band
Blink-182 Blink-182 (stylized as blink-182) is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Poway, California in 1992. Their current lineup consists of bassist/vocalist Mark Hoppus, guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. Though their ...
, released September 27, 2011, through
DGC Records DGC Records (an initialism for the David Geffen Company) was an American record label that operated as a division of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, which is owned by the Universal Music Group. History DGC Records was launched in 1990 as a subsi ...
and
Interscope Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Musi ...
. Their first album of new material in eight years (the longest gap between albums to date), its recording followed the band's breakup and later reconciliation. Due to conflicts within the trio, the band entered an "indefinite hiatus" in 2005 and the members explored various side-projects. After two separate tragedies regarding the band and their entourage, the members of Blink-182 decided to reunite in late 2008, with plans for a new album and tour. It was the last studio album to feature founding member Tom DeLonge until his return to the band in 2022. The band's studio autonomy, tours, managers, and personal projects stalled the recording process, which lasted from shortly after the band's February 2009 reunion to July 2011. Blink-182 developed ''Neighborhoods'' in separate studios and regrouped at various periods to record. Their numerous delays in the recording process resulted in the cancelation of a European tour and the label setting a deadline for the album to be due. The trio wrote lyrics on such subjects as isolation, confusion, and death. They infused inspiration from each member's various musical tastes to form a unique sound that recalled their separate upbringings, leading the trio to compare the album to separate neighborhoods. ''Neighborhoods'' was released to mixed reviews from critics; some felt it was a natural evolution from the band's previous releases, while others found it stale and disjointed. The album debuted at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200 and " Up All Night" and " After Midnight" were released as
singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...
, with both attracting modest success on ''Billboard'''s
Alternative Songs Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-played ...
chart. Despite this, ''Neighborhoods'' did not sell as well as earlier releases and the band would depart from Interscope the following fall.


Background

Blink-182 announced on February 22, 2005, that they would be going on an "indefinite hiatus". The decision, in reality a breakup of the group, stemmed from internal band tension, which had arisen in late 2004 during their European tour. Guitarist and vocalist Tom DeLonge expressed his desire to take a half-year respite from touring in order to spend more time with family. Bassist/vocalist
Mark Hoppus Mark Allan Hoppus (born March 15, 1972) is an American musician, songwriter and record producer best known as the bassist and co-lead vocalist for the rock band Blink-182, being the only constant member and the only one to appear on every album. ...
and drummer
Travis Barker Travis Landon Barker (born November 14, 1975) is an American musician who serves as the drummer for the rock band Blink-182. He has also performed as a frequent collaborator with hip hop artists, is a member of the rap rock group Transpla ...
were dismayed by his decision, which they felt was an overly long break. Following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, DeLonge agreed to perform at
Music for Relief Music for Relief is a 501(c)(3) charitable trust founded by the rock band Linkin Park in response to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Throughout its first twelve years, the organization responded to over 30 natural disasters across four continen ...
's Concert for South Asia, a benefit show to aid victims. Further arguments ensued during rehearsals, rooted in the band members' increasing paranoia and bitterness toward one another. DeLonge felt his priorities were "mad different", and the breakdown in communication led to heated exchanges, resulting in his exit from the group. During the hiatus, DeLonge formed the rock band
Angels & Airwaves Angels & Airwaves (also written as Angels and Airwaves; stylized and abbreviated as ΛVΛ) is an American rock band, comprising Tom DeLonge (lead vocals, guitars, keyboards), David Kennedy (guitars, keyboards), Ilan Rubin (drums, keyboards, b ...
, while Barker and Hoppus continued playing together in +44. Two events in late 2008 would lead to the band's eventual reformation: the death of longtime producer
Jerry Finn Jermone Gregory Finn (March 31, 1969 – August 21, 2008), sometimes credited as "Huckle" Jerry Finn, was an American record producer and mix engineer. He worked with numerous punk rock and pop-punk artists such as Blink-182, AFI, Sum 41, ...
(who suffered a
cerebral hemorrhage Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), also known as cerebral bleed, intraparenchymal bleed, and hemorrhagic stroke, or haemorrhagic stroke, is a sudden bleeding into the tissues of the brain, into its ventricles, or into both. It is one kind of bleed ...
) and a near-fatal plane crash involving Barker and collaborator
DJ AM Adam Michael Goldstein (March 30, 1973 – August 28, 2009), known professionally as DJ AM, was an American disc jockey (DJ). Born in Philadelphia, Goldstein became interested in deejaying as a child after watching Herbie Hancock perform his 1 ...
. The two incidents raised rumors of a possible Blink-182 reunion. Hoppus was alerted about Barker's accident by a phone call in the middle of the night and jumped on the next flight to the burn center. DeLonge learned of the crash via the TV news at an airport while waiting to board a flight. He landed and mailed a letter and two photographs to Barker: a photo of Blink aboard a submarine in the
Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
and another of himself and his two kids. "One was 'Do you remember who we were?' and the other was 'This is who I am now'" DeLonge said. He also commented that, no matter what had happened between himself and Barker in the past, "none of it matters when it comes down to somebody getting hurt". Hoppus first spoke on the matter in a blog post in November 2008, writing that he "hadn't had it in him" to post, adding that "these past two months have been the hardest times I can remember". He also revealed that he, DeLonge, and Barker had all spoken in the aftermath. Barker quashed reunion rumors in December, but noted that they had been getting along. Talk of a reunion commenced weeks after the trio began speaking again. After a two-hour phone conversation between DeLonge and Hoppus, an arrangement was made for the trio to meet up at Hoppus and Barker's
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
studio in October 2008. DeLonge was the first to approach the subject of reuniting. The trio had, in Hoppus' words, "two gnarly heart-to-hearts", during which the three opened up. "Tom had just kind of come out to Los Angeles for the day", recalled Hoppus, "I remember he said, 'So, what do you guys think? Where are your heads at?' And I said, 'I think we should continue with what we've been doing for the past 17 years. I think we should get back on the road and back in the studio and do what we love doing'". Eventually, the band appeared for the first time on stage together in nearly five years as presenters at the
51st Grammy Awards The 51st Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, on February 8, 2009, honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2007, through September 30, 2008. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss were the b ...
on February 8, 2009. The band's official website was updated with a statement: "To put it simply, we're back. We mean, really back. Picking up where we left off and then some. In the studio writing and recording a new album. Preparing to tour the world yet again. Friendships reformed. 17 years deep in our legacy."


Recording and production

Blink-182 began recording demos of new material in 2009. All three members brought song ideas that they had worked on for years. As the band got back together, Barker said that the trio immediately "got inspired" by practicing their old songs and listening to them again, and they decided to record demos. There were four demos done, and only one was near completion, " Up All Night". The trio wanted to release it as a single then, but quickly realized that it was too ambitious to complete it before their reunion tour began in July. Sessions were stalled by the summer 2009 reunion tour, during which the band reconnected musically and emotionally. During the tour, Barker got a phone call that DJ AM had overdosed and died in New York, which heavily affected him. In addition to the tragedy regarding DJ AM, DeLonge was diagnosed with skin cancer the following year, but this eventually cleared up. The band did a large amount of writing before leaving on tour, but upon its completion, they took time off to "chill and do other stuff", with intentions to regroup in 2010. In June and July 2010, Blink-182 spent time at their rehearsal spot, with the intention to wrap up touring by September and stay in the studio for the rest of the year until the record was finished. The album sessions were to be partially documented in ''The Blinkumentary'', which was scrapped in 2012. The recording and release of ''Neighborhoods'' was delayed multiple times. This was due to the way the band chose to work—in bits and pieces, alone and together, in a pair of California studios—in addition to each member's busy schedules. The album was recorded at both DeLonge's studio in
San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
and in Los Angeles by Hoppus and Barker. Recording in separate studios was DeLonge's idea, and ideas were exchanged via email. Various engineers met up in person to trade files on hard drives. Although the three musicians were rarely in the same room while recording, opting to work on their parts individually, DeLonge asserted that the method of recording was a more efficient way of working considering their schedules, not due to a lack of unity within the band. In addition, Barker was releasing a solo record, DeLonge was involved in Angels & Airwaves, and Hoppus had to fly to New York City once a week to film his television show, '' Hoppus on Music''. The record was the band's first to be self-produced, due to the death of longtime producer Jerry Finn in 2008. Not only did Finn helm their last three studio albums, but he served as an invaluable member of the band: part adviser, part impartial observer, he helped smooth out tensions and hone their sound. "I honestly still feel like he's in the studio with us, because for me, personally, everything that was about recording and being in a studio, I learned from Jerry", said Hoppus. Instead of a producer, each band member had their own dedicated sound engineer, with Hoppus and DeLonge receiving help from longtime co-production partners Chris Holmes and "Critter", respectively. DeLonge, who was against using a producer after self-producing most of his Angels & Airwaves records, described the band situation as "very democratic", noting that he learned during the recording process to "let go and be okay with not being able to control everything". Hoppus attributed the album's delay to the band learning to work by themselves without Finn, and both he and DeLonge expressed frustration during the sessions at the band's cabal of publicists, managers, and attorneys (which DeLonge described as "the absolute diarrhea of bureaucracy"). A result of the trio's split was each members hiring his own attorney, and, during the ''Neighborhoods'' sessions, they had a total of four managers. Later, it was revealed that DeLonge and Hoppus would go months without direct communication, only speaking through their managers. Hoppus moved to London with his family late in the recording process, also complicating matters. Under pressure, the band released a statement in April that effectively rescheduled all European tour dates due to the album's prolonged recording. The decision—a "hugely expensive" one—was protested by DeLonge but pushed forward by Barker, who felt the trio had made commitments to only tour with new material. The biggest argument of the recording process ensued, resulting in
Geffen Records Geffen Records is an American record label established by David Geffen and owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M Records imprint. Founded in 1980, Geffen Records has been a part of Interscope Geffen A&M since 1999 and h ...
setting a July 31 deadline for the record amid concerns about the volatility of the band, explaining there would be penalties if the album was not turned in on time. DeLonge joked that, "We'll probably actually drive it to the effenpresident's house at two in the morning and hand it through his bedroom window at the last possible minute". The band, as a whole, only entered the studio for "one or two weeks" following the release of the statement in the spring, with only three days dedicated to writing. Recording lasted through May and into the summer, and by the time of the July 31 deadline, the record was near completion and finally completed through August.


Composition


Music and lyrics

Stylistically, ''Neighborhoods'' has been described as
alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
,
pop punk Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti-suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other pu ...
, and
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...
, while moving the band's sound into " prog-punk" territory. Pre-release, the album was described by the band as ambitious, weird, and expansive. The music of the album was inspired by each musician's tastes: DeLonge's contributions bear hints of
stadium rock Arena rock (also known as AOR, melodic rock, stadium rock, anthem rock, pomp rock, corporate rock and dad rock; ; ) is a style of rock music that originated in the mid-1970s. As hard rock bands and those playing a softer yet strident kind of po ...
, Barker infuses hip hop into his drum tracks, and Hoppus felt compelled by "weird
indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...
." Hoppus stated early on that a goal for the album was to try many new things, but to remain a catchy and "
poppy A poppy is a flowering plant in the subfamily Papaveroideae of the family Papaveraceae. Poppies are herbaceous plants, often grown for their colourful flowers. One species of poppy, ''Papaver somniferum'', is the source of the narcotic drug opi ...
" sensibility. The lyricism of the album was influenced by heavy events in each member's life during the latter part of the decade, elements considered dark by Hoppus. The band made sure to produce a few throwback songs recalling their sound in the "mid-90s." Though DeLonge hoped to retain the angst present in the band's past work, he wanted to "deliver it in a package that's very modern, using instrumentations and formulas to launch you into different places with music that is not just three-chord pop-punk with riffs". He later felt the album was not progressive as he had wished: "I'm thinking, 'Why don't we do this? Why don't we create these landscapes?' I think we should have been pushing ourselves, and trying to push the genre forward". Likewise, Barker felt DeLonge wanted their music to be derivative of groups such as U2 or
Coldplay Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University Col ...
, commenting, "For us, we were always like 'Blink is Blink, man. We want to sound like fucking Blink-182'". Hoppus wrote lyrics dealing with breakdowns in communication and trust and tackled themes of isolation and confusion, but these lyrics were not specific to any of the band's history. He struggled with writing upbeat, happy songs for the album and attributed the dark lyricism to heavy events occurring shortly before the reunion. MTV News called ''Neighborhoods'' the "bleakest thing Blink have ever done, haunted by specters both real— depression,
addiction Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use o ...
, loss—and imagined", noting the constant lyrical mention of death in many tracks. The album mixes the electronic flourishes of +44 and the "laser-light grandeur" of
Angels & Airwaves Angels & Airwaves (also written as Angels and Airwaves; stylized and abbreviated as ΛVΛ) is an American rock band, comprising Tom DeLonge (lead vocals, guitars, keyboards), David Kennedy (guitars, keyboards), Ilan Rubin (drums, keyboards, b ...
into what MTV News called "a sound that recalls nothing so much as dark streets and black expanses, mostly of the suburban variety".


Packaging and title

The title ''Neighborhoods'' evolved out of the trio discovering that each bring a very different aesthetic to the band, each like different neighborhoods in a city. "Everybody in the world thinks of something unique unto themselves when they hear the word 'Neighborhoods'", said Hoppus. "To some it is a big city, others a small town, others suburbia, everything. The world is wide, exciting and very different. That's what ''Neighborhoods'' means to me". The album artwork for the record was revealed on August 4, 2011, and featured the band name written atop a city skyline. The ''Neighborhoods'' sleeve contains many names close to the band, including Chloe (DeLonge's pet Labrador Retriever), Ava and Jon (DeLonge's daughter Ava Elizabeth and son Jonas Rocket), Jack (Hoppus' son), Landon, Alabama and Ati (Barker's son, daughter, and stepdaughter, Atiana), G! (Mike Giant, designer of the cover), and lastly, a memorial to DJ AM."10 Things You Need to Know About the New Blink Album". ''Kerrang!''. August 2011. p. 6


Songs

"
Ghost on the Dance Floor "Ghost on the Dance Floor" is a song by American rock band Blink-182 from the band's sixth studio album, '' Neighborhoods'' (2011). The song, written by guitarist Tom DeLonge, bassist Mark Hoppus and drummer Travis Barker, concerns sharing memori ...
" opens the album and is specifically about "hearing a song you shared with someone that's passed". The track resonated with Barker, who called DeLonge one night because the song affected him while listening to it, due to the death of DJ AM. "Natives" first arose from a tribal beat Barker created in the studio, and the song's title changed multiple times before settling on simplicity. "Up All Night" is the album's oldest song, dating to just after the band's 2009 reunion, when they grouped together and produced demos. The band returned to it multiple times over the recording process, each time making it heavier than before. " After Midnight" was one of four new songs birthed from a last-minute writing session after the band canceled their European tour. Barker's favorite track (and originally titled "Travis Beat") was written in separate studios but composed and recorded together. "Snake Charmer", initially titled "Genesis", as a reference to the
Book of Genesis The Book of Genesis (from Greek ; Hebrew: בְּרֵאשִׁית ''Bəreʾšīt'', "In hebeginning") is the first book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. Its Hebrew name is the same as its first word, ( "In the beginning") ...
, is based on the biblical story of
Adam and Eve Adam and Eve, according to the creation myth of the Abrahamic religions, were the first man and woman. They are central to the belief that humanity is in essence a single family, with everyone descended from a single pair of original ancestors. ...
. It predates the band's reunion, and was a guitar riff DeLonge kept around to expand upon in the future. The song's
coda Coda or CODA may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * Movie coda, a post-credits scene * ''Coda'' (1987 film), an Australian horror film about a serial killer, made for television *''Coda'', a 2017 American experimental film from Na ...
was composed by Barker and engineer Chris Holmes. Hoppus composed two versions of "
Heart's All Gone "Heart's All Gone" is a song by American rock band Blink-182 from the band's sixth studio album, '' Neighborhoods'' (2011). The song, written by bassist Mark Hoppus, guitarist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker, was released on August 5, 2011 ...
", one fast and one slow, and ended up liking both, so the slower version serves as an interlude on the album's deluxe edition. "Wishing Well" was solely created by DeLonge, and is what Hoppus describes as the epitome of the album: "It's very catchy, but the lyrics are really, really dark and a little depressing". "Kaleidoscope" arose when Hoppus woke up with the song's opening lyrics in his head, which he expanded into a
Descendents The Descendents are an American punk rock band formed in 1977 in Manhattan Beach, California, by guitarist Frank Navetta, bassist Tony Lombardo and drummer Bill Stevenson. In 1979, they enlisted Stevenson's school friend Milo Aukerman as a s ...
-ish classic punk song. "The mentality behind it is being a slacker in 2011", Hoppus said. "The 20s and 30s malaise that is America right now". It was also inspired by the album's lengthy recording process and the transformation of the band. "This Is Home" was originally titled "Scars to Blame", but changed considerably when Hoppus took the chorus and bridge and combined it with new lyrics written by DeLonge, morphing it into what he described as "an anthem for youthful abandon". "MH 4.18.2011" was a working title for a song that was to be named "Hold On", and represents a combination of Hoppus' initials and the date he wrote the song. However, DeLonge convinced Hoppus to keep the original title because he thought it sounded cool, likening it to a virus. The song was inspired by one occasion in which Hoppus was idle at a stoplight when a helicopter flew overahead, casting a large shadow. He began to think of war-torn countries and impoverished areas in which circling helicopters are a "way of life", and wrote the song to capture that mentality. The track is notable for being recorded without DeLonge's involvement, with Hoppus recording all of the guitars in addition to his usual bass and vocals. "Love Is Dangerous" arose from a minimalist, electronic ballad, but gradually took on a heavier sound when combined with guitars. Hoppus described "Fighting the Gravity" as a "very strange song", and highlighted its production: he ran a drum machine through his bass amp, and when the volume was turned up, it shook the entire building, causing a light fixture in the control room to start shaking. Hoppus and Holmes mic-ed up the fixture, creating the rattling heard near the beginning. "Even If She Falls" is an upbeat, "catchy love song" that Hoppus viewed as a positive note to end the record on.


Release and promotion

Expectations for ''Neighborhoods'' were described by ''Alternative Press'' as "truly gigantic, both within the music industry and the record-buying mainstream".
MTV News MTV News is the news production division of MTV. The service is available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network. In February 2016, MTV Networks confirmed it would refresh the MTV News brand in 2016, to compete with the likes ...
called ''Neighborhoods'' one of the most anticipated albums of 2010 when the album was scheduled for that year, and then again as one of the most anticipated rock albums of 2011. ''
Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication ''Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one- ...
'' also called it one of the most anticipated releases of 2011, and it was also featured on a list of ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...
'' "26 Fall Albums That Matter Most". The album title and release date were officially announced in July 2011. In preparation for the deluxe edition, the band compiled ten tracks as well as three extras. The deluxe edition tracks are sequenced differently from the standard version. "Up All Night" was released as the album's lead single on July 14, and the band began streaming another new song, "Heart's All Gone", through a dedicated website on August 4. The second single from ''Neighborhoods'', titled "After Midnight", premiered on BBC Radio 1 on September 6, 2011. "Wishing Well" was released November 21, 2011, as a promotional single to alternative radio exclusively in the UK. The album leaked two weeks before its release, despite being under a very high level of security. Hoppus commented to ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' that he was surprised it took so long to leak and was relieved rather than annoyed that it had, reading warm comments about the album online. Blink-182 returned to Interscope Records to distribute the album, but found the music industry landscape dramatically different since the band's last effort. "The label itself has no resources or capital to do what they used to", DeLonge said in an interview with ''Billboard'', "They just have you locked up on a contract". Interscope, since the band's breakup, had greatly pared down its rock department, in contrast to other labels. Blink-182 broke up at a heightened popularity period for
pop-punk Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti-suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other pu ...
, but ''Neighborhoods'' was released in an era for the genre that ''Billboard'' described as "lacking exciting mainstream representation", in addition to falling sales for peer bands. The trio approached sponsorships, song releases, and social media incorporation during the rollout of ''Neighborhoods''. Social media such as
Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
and
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
were present throughout each stage of the album, which Hoppus believed allowed more direct access and control over the band's music. Although
Modlife Modlife was a company owned by musician Tom DeLonge that used a customizable software platform to monetize the numerous aspects of a creative artist's work. Founded in 2007, Modlife created new revenue streams for content creators by rewarding fa ...
, DeLonge's revenue-sharing online service, was not involved in the promotion of the record, the band's personal business projects were integrated, such as Macbeth Footwear and
Famous Stars and Straps {{Infobox company , name = Famous Stars & Straps (FSAS) , logo = Famous Stars and Straps (logo).png , vector_logo = , type = Clothing/ Accessory Company , genre = , foundation = 1999 , founder = ...
. Retailers such as
Hot Topic Hot Topic, Inc. (stylized as HOT TOPIC) is an American retail chain specializing in counterculture-related clothing and accessories, as well as licensed music. The stores are aimed towards an audience interested in rock music and video gaming, ...
and Interpunk.com carried different-colored vinyl editions of ''Neighborhoods'' that included MP3 download cards. The band partnered with
AT&T AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the world's largest telecommunications company by revenue and the third largest provider of mobile tel ...
in order to promote the album, appearing in a national spot for the
HTC Status The HTC ChaCha (also known as HTC Chachacha or HTC Status) is an Android smartphone that was announced by HTC in February 2011 at the Mobile World Congress, alongside its sister phone, the HTC Salsa. The ChaCha is primarily designed for text ...
; they also partnered with
Best Buy Best Buy Co. Inc. is an American multinational consumer electronics retailer headquartered in Richfield, Minnesota. Originally founded by Richard M. Schulze and James Wheeler in 1966 as an audio specialty store called Sound of Music, it was rebra ...
, which sold a uniquely colored HTC Status preloaded with the band's music. Television ads through networks such as
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
were explored the week of release. In addition, Hoppus and DeLonge appeared in a "film festival" for the fan montage video of "Up All Night", honoring various internet fans through
tongue-in-cheek The idiom tongue-in-cheek refers to a humorous or sarcastic statement expressed in a serious manner. History The phrase originally expressed contempt, but by 1842 had acquired its modern meaning. Early users of the phrase include Sir Walter Scott ...
categories.


Critical reception

''Neighborhoods'' received generally positive reviews from contemporary music critics. At
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 69, based on 18 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". A pre-release review from ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' regarded ''Neighborhoods'' as the band's best album, calling it "bravely progressive" and noting the dark lyricism and random experimentation. Mike Diver of
BBC Music BBC Music is responsible for the music played across the BBC. The current director of music is Bob Shennan, who is also the controller of BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music, and the BBC Asian Network. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio o ...
described the album as "unexpectedly great", and while agreeing the recording process gave some tracks a "dislocated feel", he concluded that "''Neighborhoods'' could easily have been a disaster—that it's not, and actually a very successful endeavour, is worthy of substantial praise". Chad Grischow of
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
called ''Neighborhoods'' a "startlingly great rock album" in which the band "hits an artistic growth spurt", summarizing it as "the most mature, rewarding, and best album of their career". James Montgomery of
MTV News MTV News is the news production division of MTV. The service is available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network. In February 2016, MTV Networks confirmed it would refresh the MTV News brand in 2016, to compete with the likes ...
called the "long-awaited, decidedly dark comeback album" a new transition for the band, calling ''Neighborhoods'' a "deep, dark, downright auto-biographical effort".
AbsolutePunk ''AbsolutePunk'' was a website, online community, and alternative music news source founded by Jason Tate (the most recent CEO). The website mainly focused on artists who are relatively unknown to mainstream audiences, but it was known to fea ...
staff writer Thomas Nassiff called ''Neighborhoods'' a "great record", awarding it a score of nine out of ten. He noted the album's "bleak and dark" lyricism, while describing its sound as containing elements of the trio's various side projects, as well as being a natural progression from their 2003 album. Nitsuh Abebe of ''
New York Magazine ''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, and with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker'', ...
'' deemed the record "one of those albums on which a group reunites as professionals and equals, each having gone off and collected his own interests via side projects, and then negotiates a sound that brings it all to bear: no-nonsense modern rock, serious but unpretentious, ambitious but full of the same easy hooks as ever". Writing for
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
,
Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...
remarked that ''Neighborhoods'' is "a different beast than any of the cheerfully snotty early Blink-182 albums, as the band picks up the gloomy thread left hanging on its eponymous 2003 album...yet it's far better to hear Blink-182 grapple with adolescent angst via the perspective of middle age than vainly attempting to re-create their youth. Perhaps Blink could stand to sharpen their words but it's better that they concentrated on their music, creating a fairly ridiculous yet mildly compelling prog-punk spin on the suburbs here". Tom Goodwyn of ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' remarked that the album finds the band "completely at ease with its past and confident enough to acknowledge their early work, with nods on the album to moments from their whole back catalogue". British rock magazine ''
Kerrang ''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication ''Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one-off ...
'' awarded ''Neighborhoods'' a "good" three-out-of-five score in their review. Critic Mark Sutherland noted that while "the finished product is inevitably disjointed, Blink emerge as a surprisingly serious rock proposition". He went on to add that, "While it occasionally sounds like Mark, Tom, and Travis are playing three different songs at once ('Kaleidoscope', 'After Midnight'), the band are still capable of producing genuine moments of magnificence". Scott Heisel of ''
Alternative Press Alternative press may refer to: Individual publications * ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine Alternative journalism * Alternative media ** Alternative media (U.S. political left) ** Alternative media (U.S. political ri ...
'' attributed the album's flaws to the lack of an outside producer and the fact that only a few tracks were written and recorded as a group: "Blink-182's members are still capable of writing good songs, but without a strong outside influence (i.e., a producer) and no real desire or effort to consistently work in the same room with one another, the amount of truly transcendent, classic material is minimal. Ultimately, ''Neighborhoods'' is a slightly awkward entry in the band's catalog that shows as much potential as it does flaws". Kyle Anderson of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' awarded the album a "B−" grade, opining that, "the peaks on ''Neighborhoods''—their first disc in eight years—do little more than recall past triumphs. Outside of some latent goth leanings ('This Is Home') and a gauzy detour ('
Ghost on the Dance Floor "Ghost on the Dance Floor" is a song by American rock band Blink-182 from the band's sixth studio album, '' Neighborhoods'' (2011). The song, written by guitarist Tom DeLonge, bassist Mark Hoppus and drummer Travis Barker, concerns sharing memori ...
'), it's mostly twitch-crunch-whine-repeat". Michael Brown of
Drowned in Sound ''Drowned in Sound'', sometimes abbreviated to ''DiS'', is a UK-based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway. Founded by editor Sean Adams, the site features reviews, news, interviews, and discussion forums. History ''D ...
gave a mixed review, awarding the album a lukewarm five out of ten. He critiqued that, "Blink have the potential for much more than their past reputation may convey, but ''Neighborhoods'' is reminiscent of that first awkward conversation after a heated argument, as no-one's quite sure where to go next". Jon Dolan of ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' gave the album three stars out of five, noting elements of sophistication, introspection, and darkness in the music and lyrics and commenting that "Some Clinton-era pants-dropping might've been a fun nostalgia move. But those days are gone; it's their early-2010s nightmare as much as anyone else's". Kyle Ryan of ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' was critical of DeLonge's vocals, saying that he "sounds flat as ever, and has a fondness for clunky lyrics", concluding that "Although Blink-182 has long since left its past as a bare-bones punk band behind, overwrought rock isn't its forte, either. ''Neighborhoods'' finds a nice balance between the two, but it could still use a little less fussiness". Jonathan Keefe of ''
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...
'' considered it uninspired: "When they try to add relatively ambitious elements to the things they actually do well, Blink-182 is more successful. ..It's admirable that Blink-182 tries to challenge themselves over the course of ''Neighborhoods'', but their growing pains don't make for a particularly good album or a welcome comeback". Scott McLennan of ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' considered the album a step forward, summarizing, "Blink-182 again delivers a record with nothing outright awful and enough dynamite songs to pack a punch at future tours". Mikael Wood of ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...
'' called the album "surprisingly and refreshingly low-key", but its self-examination "comparatively adrift" with the sound of their past.


Commercial performance

''Neighborhoods'' debuted at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200, with 151,000 copies sold in its first week. The album dropped to position 10 in its second week, and fell out of the top 20 soon afterward. It also debuted at number one on both the magazine's
Alternative Albums The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...
and
Top Rock Albums The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...
charts, number two on the
Digital Albums The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...
chart, and number four on
Tastemaker Albums The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in '' Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, p ...
. Internationally, the album performed best in
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
and
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, where it also debuted in the number two position. In
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
, it peaked at number three, while it debuted at number six on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
and in
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. Despite this, sales were not as smooth as the group's label, Interscope, had hoped, according to
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
: "Despite the extended hiatus between albums, ''Neighborhoods'' failed to connect on the same scale as earlier releases". As of May 2016, it had sold 353,000 units in the US. In the United Kingdom, the album went Silver, certifying sales of 60,000 units, and it was certified Gold in Australia for sales of 35,000 copies.


Touring and aftermath

Blink-182 first began touring in support of ''Neighborhoods'' with the 10th Annual Honda Civic Tour in August 2011. The 2011 edition marked the tenth anniversary of the tour, which Blink-182 headlined in its first incarnation. Together with
My Chemical Romance My Chemical Romance (commonly abbreviated to MCR or My Chem) is an American rock band from Newark, New Jersey. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, lead guitarist Ray Toro, rhythm guitarist Frank Iero, and bassist Mi ...
, the trio fronted the 10th Annual Honda Civic Tour, which ran from August to October 2011, with additional dates scheduled in Canada with Rancid and
Against Me! Against Me! is an American punk rock band formed in 1997 in Naples, Florida, by singer and guitarist Laura Jane Grace. That same year, Grace moved to Gainesville, Florida, which is considered the band's hometown. Since 2001, the band's lineup ...
. In 2012, the band embarked on a worldwide 20th Anniversary Tour. They continued touring in 2012, performing the rescheduled European dates originally canceled in order to continue recording. They were scheduled to headline the Bamboozle 2012 Music Festival but canceled when Barker had to undergo an operation for
tonsilitis Tonsillitis is inflammation of the tonsils in the upper part of the throat. It can be acute or chronic. Acute tonsillitis typically has a rapid onset. Symptoms may include sore throat, fever, enlargement of the tonsils, trouble swallowing, and en ...
. The 20th Anniversary Tour extended into
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
in 2013 as part of the Soundwave festival, as well as four sideshows in the US with punk acts
The Vandals The Vandals are an American punk rock band, established in 1980 in Orange County, California. They have released ten full-length studio albums, two live albums, and have toured the world extensively, including performances on the Vans Warped ...
and
Sharks Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachimorp ...
. Barker, who still suffers a fear of flying, did not attend;
Brooks Wackerman Brooks Wackerman (born February 15, 1977) is an American musician. He is the current drummer of heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold, which he joined in 2015. His first album with Avenged Sevenfold was ''The Stage'' (2016). He is most known as t ...
, drummer of
Bad Religion Bad Religion is an American punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1980. The band's lyrics cover topics related to religion, politics, society, the media and science. Musically, they are noted for their melodic sensibilitie ...
at the time, filled in for the Australian leg of the tour. Blink-182 looked back on ''Neighborhoods'' later with divided reactions. In 2012, DeLonge would concede that the recording method, originally his idea, led to a loss of unity, noting that emails dictated the majority of recording, due to the band members' hectic schedules. "There's some songs on there that I love, but for the most part it was disconnected", Barker recalled. "It was like, 'You do this part in your studio, and then you're gonna play on it and send it back to me'. When we're not in the studio together, you don't have the opportunity to gel off each other". In addition, Barker was still recovering from his 2008 plane crash, which made things difficult in the studio. "Dude, I was still healing", he told ''Rolling Stone''. "I had scabs all over my body and was, like, a bloody mess. It was just way too soon". In 2015, following DeLonge's departure, Barker claimed DeLonge "didn't even care about 'Neighborhoods'' He didn't even listen to mixes or masterings from that record".


Track listing


Personnel

Adapted from the album's liner notes. Blink-182 *
Mark Hoppus Mark Allan Hoppus (born March 15, 1972) is an American musician, songwriter and record producer best known as the bassist and co-lead vocalist for the rock band Blink-182, being the only constant member and the only one to appear on every album. ...
bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
,
vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
,
guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
s,
production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stati ...
* Tom DeLonge – guitars, vocals, production *
Travis Barker Travis Landon Barker (born November 14, 1975) is an American musician who serves as the drummer for the rock band Blink-182. He has also performed as a frequent collaborator with hip hop artists, is a member of the rap rock group Transpla ...
drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
,
percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...
, production Additional musicians *
Roger Joseph Manning Jr. Roger Joseph Manning Jr. (born May 27, 1966) is an American keyboardist, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the bands Jellyfish, the Moog Cookbook, and Imperial Drag. He has also spent several years as a member of Beck's backing band, contri ...
keyboards Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...
Production *
Neal Avron Neal Avron (born December 31, 1965) is an American record producer, mixer, audio engineer, and musician. Working predominantly in rock music, Avron began working on records in 1993 and achieved his production breakthrough when he co-produced Eve ...
mix engineer A mixing engineer (or simply mix engineer) is responsible for combining ("mixing") different sonic elements of an auditory piece into a complete rendition (also known as "final mix" or "mixdown"), whether in music, film, or any other content of a ...
* Jeff "Critter" Newell – co-producer * Paul Frye – assistant recording engineer * Femio Hernández – assistant recording engineer * Chris Holmes – co-producer, mix engineer * James Ingram –
recording engineer An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a recording or a live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization, dynamics processing and audio effects, mixing, reproduction, ...
, additional engineering * Paul LaMalfa – assistant recording engineer *
Tom Lord-Alge Tom Lord-Alge (born January 17, 1963) is an American music engineer and mixer. He began his career at The Hit Factory in New York. Subsequently, he was the resident mixer at what used to be known as "South Beach Studios", located on the ground f ...
– mix engineer * Andy Wallace – mix engineer Design * Mike Giant – illustrations *
Estevan Oriol Estevan Oriol is an American of Mexican-Italian descent, photographer and music video director based in Los Angeles, California. His work has been featured in magazines, usually reflects Los Angeles urban and gang culture, and he has also photograp ...
– photography * Liam Ward – layout and design


Charts and certifications


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Notes


External links


''Neighborhoods''
at
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(streamed copy where licensed) * * {{Authority control 2011 albums Albums produced by Mark Hoppus Albums produced by Tom DeLonge Albums produced by Travis Barker Blink-182 albums DGC Records albums Interscope Records albums