Tom DeLonge has been very busy post Blink-182 (though they have regrouped and are planning a release). The former guitarist and vocalist of the cheeky punk band created two clothing labels, has two bands and even had time to create a social networking site that links fans with bands, businesses and bloggers, Modlife. While the
band Box Car Racer was a project he worked on with drummer Travis Barker (also getting ready to release his own debut solo album soon) it is the band AVA (Angels and Airwaves) along with some super geniuses of the indie realm that get attention.
AVA has had two albums out already, We don’t need to whisper and I-Empire. They’re getting ready to launch a third, Love with a real treat — a film also called Love about the last surviving human at an international space station orbiting the Earth with no hope of getting back home. The reason for this head’s up is that the album will be free to download for a couple of days around Valentine’s Day so post that on your to-do list. The music is allegedly similar to older AVA releases though DeLonge has been shown up for weak lyrics (he rhymes ‘love’ with ‘shove’!) and not taking enough risks.
While the track The Flight of Apollo is a standout track it’s no Space Oddity. The Moon is slightly boring.
Hallucinations and Young London are also lovely sounds. If there is a downside, it is that the album has the big, cinematic washing over you, everything that everyone feels most film soundtracks must have. But then, there’s the film to look forward to.