Make no mistake, since Blink-182 announced their indefinite hiatus in 2005, the music scene has found itself inundated with new sounds from maturing pieces of the veteran punk whole. Be it moving a side project to the forefront (Barker and Transplants) or experimenting with new sounds (DeLonge with Angels and Airwaves), the former boys of Blink continue to assert their presence, the latest display being the alternative rock outfit, Plus 44.
Despite attempts to branch into the electronic spectrum, the group's debut release When Your Heart Stops Beating expands upon the experimental punk sound put forth in Blink-182's 2003 album blink-182. The album showcases a set of increasingly emotional lyrics set amid slightly subdued instrumentation to provide a sound that is both reminiscent of a seasoned past but promising of a refreshing future (think Blink, on sedatives).
The ensemble, whose moniker give a shout-out to its place of origin (+44 is the international calling code for the UK), meshes the talents of former Blink-182 bassist Mark Hoppus and drummer Travis Barker with the influences from other well-versed punks. The Nervous Return's Shane Gallagher and Craig Fairbaugh (Transplants and Lars Frederickson and the Bastards) do an adequate job of filling the guitar void, effortlessly transitioning between driving chords and toned-down melodies as the album runs the musical spectrum from start to finish.
When Your Heart Stops Beating kicks off to a rousing start with the raging track "Lycanthrope." The song oozes pain as Hoppus vents his frustration about a failed relationship through his signature vocals: "A hollow point at an angry bullet/ We're on the teeth of a crocodile/We're in the mouth of a gun/ And sometimes in a matter of feel we're just a broken vessel." The same intensity continues in the catchy, thumping rhythm of the album's title track, "When Your Heart Stops Beating." Although the overall tone of the song takes on a catchier vibe, underlying themes of bitterness, and in a sense vengeance, still remain.
Slightly mellowed tunes "Weatherman" and "Make You Smile," feature some vocal support from short-staying Plus 44 guitarist/singer Carol Heller. Although the former frontlady of all-girl SoCo outfit Get the Girl and Goodbye Radar abruptly left the band in favor of starting a family, she is still present in the chorus of the former and provides and interesting balance to Hoppus in the call and response sounds of the latter. These songs showcase the overall contrast in material found on When Your Heart Stops Beating. "Weatherman" maintains an overall melancholy feeling, commencing in a hazy trance with only a light melody to help cut through the tension, while "Make You Smile" provides some glimmer of hope as each chorus presses along over synth beats.
Finally, on "No, It Isn't" Plus 44 directly addresses the emotions unearthed by Hoppus' and Barker's falling out with former bandmate Tom DeLonge. The track wastes no time getting to the point, with the opening lines proclaiming, "Please understand/ this isn't goodbye/this is I can't stand you," and later telling of the split ("Now all our dreams are cashed in/ you swore you wouldn't lose then you lost your brain.") Much in the vein of Blink-182 acoustic track "You Fucked Up My Life," the track features subdued, echoing vocals with minimal guitar and snare beats before building into its intense conclusion.
Starting anew but not forgetting their roots in just 12 short tracks, Plus 44 asserts their place in the alternative music spectrum. The lyrics Blink once reserved for discussions of partying and girls have been replaced with deep-reaching, vulnerable themes. Plus 44 is not afraid to put themselves on the line in this emotion debut. Unlike former bandmate Delong's Angels and Airwaves, Hoppus and Barker prove with Plus 44 that they can succeed without self-described hype proclaiming them the best band to ever walk the earth. Instead, they simply allow their music to speak for itself.
Grade: 4 out of 5
