Angels & Airwaves Review

The one thing that critics never understand about Angels & Airwaves is their sound.  They consistently equate it back to 80s stadium rock and then chide them for it.  What they don’t realize is that AVA is nothing like the shit made in the 80s.  AVA is a completely new vision for today’s music scene.  Sure, it does combine stadium rock that emerged in the 80s, but it also combines indie-techno, punk, and emo into one solid package that is something totally unique.  I couldn’t tell you of a single other band similar to them besides U2- and even then, the only relation is the delay pedal both bands use extensively.  So here’s my review of the new Angels & Airwaves album, I-Empire, with a perception that isn’t jaded by all the preconceptions known about music.  Instead I’m offering up an honest opinion that accepts many, many different bands and genres and an opinion that won’t shred AVA apart merely because I’d rather find fault with the people making the music than the music itself.

 Call to Arms- the album opens up with a fantastic thrust.  Call to Arms features memorable guitar riffs with a catchy chorus and plenty of emotion to begin your journey through I-Empire on the best note possible.  Admittedly, the last chorus thrown in there seems to drag the tune on a tad bit, but not to a fault.  It’s merely a small thought in the back of your head.

Everything’s Magic- While the main guitar riff can recall memories of Anthem Pt. 2 from the blink days, Anthem Pt. 3, err, Everything’s Magic is different enough to stand alone and give the listener an Angels-exclusive feeling.  The song is very uplifting in a bittersweet kinda way, and one thing that AVA does so well is connect with its audience.  Just about every song has this incredible message about rising up past the troubles in your life and making only the best of what you have (and even seeking out more good things), and that’s sometihng I can get behind.  Not many bands have a “message” that inspires me like AVA does.

Breathe- Okay, this is like, the only lacking track on the album.  Even then it’s still very pretty and rather evocative.  This would be a great tune to make-out to.  The feeling set in this song is very spacey and dark.  If an artist can’t paint a picture as such, they’ve done something more than most bands can do with their songs.  So I still give kudos to Tom for being a genius, even when I think he’s failed.

Love Like Rockets- The more I listen, the more I love this song.. but my initial reaction of the song was that the ending was the greatest thing ever, and if they’d just harnessed the aggressiveness of the ending and put it in through the whole song, you’d have seriously one of the greatest tracks ever created.  However, the more I listen to it, the more I realize the whole song is aggressive… but it’s Atom’s fault for being such a lover of the hi-hat and won’t get hard with his drums (not meant to be a sexual innuendo).  Because at the end of the song, Atom unleashes some of the coolest fills I’ve ever heard that are big and in your face- WHERE IS THAT THE REST OF THE SONG?!  Either way, Love Like Rockets tends to soar.

Sirens- This tune is slowly becoming the favourite among listeners and with good reason.  The mood set is incredible.  It’s actually hard to critique this song, because it really is so unique and amazing.  It definitely stands off in a league of its own.

Secret Crowds- This is another hard to talk about because there’s just really so much to say.  This, to me, has a faint trace of the blink days, and it works for it very well.  Nevertheless, the choruses are huge, focusing on getting Tom’s message out about “building your own empire”, and as you listen, you’ll know that ‘Angels’ have really crafted for themselves a totally original sound.

Star of Bethlehem/True Love- One of the greatest songs ever made.  I’ve had this song for over a year.  A lot of AVA fans have.  So I can’t say that I’m blown away by it right now… but when it came out, True Love inspired me like no other song has ever inspired me.  It truly changed my life in a way that only Tom Delonge has the ability to do so with his songs.

Lifeline- Tom decides to express his vocal range here and succeeds.  It’s all a very ethereal experience letting the listener get dramatically pulled into the world AVA is creating in under five minutes. 

Rite of Spring- Yes yes yes, here’s def. one of the best tracks on the album.  This is the most punk and strays furthest from the general AVA sound.  Which is a good thing.  The lyrics and punk style remind the listener and everyone who’s heard Tom speak in the past three years that he’s still human, still vulnerable, and more or less the same guy we’ve known since day one of loving blink 182.  And to many people, that’s rather important.

Heaven- At first I was disappointed that this was their “big closer”.  I really didn’t feel moved by it… until I really took a good listen.  I then came to realize just how powerful the song is- what with the emotion, the incredible lyrics, and the huge closing- Heaven truly is a stand-out track that needs to be heard.  It also became that much better when I heard it BLASTING out of my friend’s car.  I became enveloped in the sound and felt as if I was flying.  Not many songs can do that…

I want to give AVA a 10/10… but that’s reserved for their next album.  Because if anything’s sure, AVA WILL release a third album that will be absolutely unreal.  We Don’t Need to Whisper, their debut, was incredible when it came out, but after the release of I-Empire, I can’t even listen to it.  It is garbage in comparison.  I-Empire proves how much more of a band they’ve become and how much more they’ve honed their style.  Working from the amazingness of this album, I know their third venture will be the charm and it will shake the earth.  I’m very, very confident in that.  So I give I-Empire an 8/10 (Breathe could have been a diff./better track, Love Like Rockets could have been more explosive, I-Empire could have featured more songs I hadn’t already heard, more songs couldd have been instanteously amazing rather than taking a couple listens to sink in)… but that’s an 8/10 that had better be worth of your purchasing.  If you’ve ever thought of buying this album or getting into AVA, this is something you need to own.

download now: Everything’s Magic, Sirens, Rite of Spring