REVIEW: Blink 182, Enema of the State (MCA)
- Jason Cahill
How perfect that the indelible image associated with Blink 182 happens to be that of the band running naked through the California streets, as they do in the video for "What's My Age Again?". Perfect because it's the kind of frat-boy mentality which is so pervasive on Blink 182's latest release, Enema of the State. In fact, the band seems to be enjoying the recent popularity of low brow, scatological humor, even appearing in this summer's low brow masterpiece, "American Pie". Remember the "Internet" scene where a band and their monkey watch as Jason Biggs attempts to seduce a foreign exchange student? Yup, that's them, monkey and all.
But, before you dismiss the band outright as purveyors of uselessness, take a good long listen (alright, clocking in at just more than 35 minutes, a good long listen might not be possible, but...) to the punk rock anthems packed within Enema. True, the songs are pure testosterone, but useless they are not. "Dysentery Gary" is a three minute anthem of angst and bitterness, "Adam's Song" is a deep song of adolescent depression, about as mature as Blink 182 can get without breaking into laughter, and "Don't Leave Me" is an absolute gem of a punk song. In fact, in terms of pure content, Enema of the State might just be one of the year's most satisfying releases.
Of course, the majority of the album's lyrical content is of the low brow variety. Nowhere is this more apparent than in "The Party Song", where the band sings of keg stands, porn and phone sex. But perhaps the album's finest lyrical moment comes near the end of "Dysentery Gary", where vocalist Tom DeLonge sings the following - Fuck this place / I lost the war / I hate you all / You're mom's a whore. Lennon and McCartney they are not.
So, if you're looking for introspection and reflection, you've come to the wrong place. Instead, Blink 182 have created what amounts to a Fraternity party masterpiece. In fact, you could say that Enema of the State is the musical equivalent of a beer funnel - it's over quickly, but leaves you feeling great, if not slightly bloated...
