If you look at any Blink interview after they release Enema, Tom is already getting bored. They originally didn't want Take Off to be the the way it turned out. Like the label made him write First Date. Mark was more okay with it.
Then when they got to writing their self-titled album Tom was pushing for something different and then when Travis took his side Mark finally gave in. I don't have anything against Mark but I just think the want from Tom to do something different and move forward is stupid.
I hate in general when bands make the same album twice or move backwards. One reason why I love TWIABP so much because they aren't afraid to mix things up and change. Look at where they started in their discog to where they are now.
TOYPAJ was always my least favourite record of theirs for how derivative it was and having 30 year old man singing about high-school was dumb.
Like, if Mark wants to write catchy and formulaic pop-punk songs I mean, more power to him but it's just not going to appeal to me. And if I want that type of music this new Blink record isn't where I'm going to search for it.
One of the things I didn't like Tom saying since the return was he was writing a song "for Blink" because it seemed Blink had to be a certain thing when I want bands to not limit themselves like that.
Blink seems more like a nostalgia act right now and that's fine but it's not for me. FOB is a similar band that just completely reinvented themselves instead of releasing From Under The Cork Tree ad naseum and they are so much better for that. Mark seems to want Blink to stay the same forever and well, time moves forward not backwards.
Anyway, glad other people are enjoying the record. But it's just not for me even if it has a couple of fun tracks.
EDIT: Also, We Don't Need To Whisper is definitely much better than this.
