Nappaland's MusicBlog

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I-EMPIRE

Angels and Airwaves / Suretone / Geffen Records

Fan Appeal: Teens

Genre: Alternative

This sophomore release from Angels and Airwaves is one that won’t disappoint fans.

I-Empire is an interesting journey into the life and personal experiences of singer/songwriter Tom Delonge. One of the compelling things about this album is the spiritual side. There are several songs that mention God or Jesus, and it seems like there is a spiritual yearning expressed by these songs. “Call to Arms,” the opening track, is probably the best song overall on this CD. It and others on this CD combine an alternative sound with a more punk sound. Overall it is reminiscent of something that might have been on the Blink-182 self-titled album. “Secret Crowds” is an interesting love song that relates what would happen if Delonge had his own world to do with what he pleased. He talks about how it would be full of all the wonderful things and void of all the terrible things that are in our world, so he could give this to whomever the song is about. The song “Rite of Spring” is a powerful one that expresses how messed up life can be, but that no matter what, our experiences make us who we are and without them, we wouldn’t be anyone.

There are only a few things that I had complaints about on this record. The first is the fact that there is some cussing. It’s mainly just on “Rites of Spring” to emphasize some of the worst parts of life. I was also disappointed by the hidden tracks that are acoustic songs. The sound quality was poor, and they sound kind of like they were just thrown together at the last second to have something to add to the CD.

MUSICBLOG RATING: A-

If members of your family like this CD, then you may want to try…

-We Don’t Need To Whisper, Angels and Airwaves, Alternative. This album is one that is full to the brim of wonderful songs and beautiful melodies.

--TN