ALBUM REVIEW: Lifeforms – Angels & Airwaves
It’s easy to see why a lot of people sneered at ANGELS & AIRWAVES at first. The idea of Tom DeLonge going all ‘heal the world’ on us was always going to raise a few eyebrows. This was, of course, the same guy we’d all seen running around naked and singing about doing unsavoury things with dogs just a few years earlier. Laying the cynicism aside though, there’s actually quite a lot to like about DeLonge’s side project turned full-time gig. The band’s early records were expansive yet danceable, crammed full of catchy hooks and U2-indebted delayed guitars. Later, 2014’s The Dream Walker would mark something of a critical high for AVA, its darker feel and electronic influences hinting at a degree of maturity perhaps. It’s been a long wait then for a full-length follow-up, which finally arrives in Lifeforms on September 24th.
With six of its ten tracks already released, many will have a good idea of what to expect from Lifeforms. For the most part, it picks up where The Dream Walker left off, with DeLonge and co. leaning heavily on synths and electronics for a warm, polished and all-round massive sound. If anything, it’s a bit lighter than that record, often capturing more of an uplifting sense of fun. The results are pretty poppy, but you can still tell that AVA are a rock band at heart. Opener Timebomb proves this well, its processed electronic intro quickly launching into a high energy stadium-ready rocker. Elsewhere, Euphoria hits listeners with heavy riffs and punchy drums, while No More Guns makes for a straightforward punky barnstormer.
Like every ANGELS & AIRWAVES album, it shouldn’t take long to get your head around what Lifeforms has to offer. It’s an instantaneous listen, with near enough every track boasting a huge sing-along hook delivered in DeLonge’s signature croon. Fifth track Losing My Mind is one of the catchiest of all, its chorus of “I live on the edge, I must be losing my mind/Get out of my head, it’s not a scene of a crime” sure to be stuck in listeners’ heads before it’s even come round a second time. Early singles Rebel Girl and Kiss & Tell are similarly unshakeable, both guaranteed to go down brilliantly on the band’s upcoming tours.
When it comes to highlights, it doesn’t get much better than the back-to-back pairing of Automatic and Restless Souls which kicks off the album’s second half. The former is perhaps the most pronounced DeLonge’s well-known love for THE CURE has ever been. It’s a joyful song, one laden with rich acoustic guitars, chorus-soaked lead work and 80s-style synths. The band keep their own identity here too though, a lot of this thanks to DeLonge‘s instantly recognisable vocals. The latter, another of the album’s many singles, may have a shout for the best song AVA have ever written. It’s rousing and anthemic, with drummer Ilan Rubin clearly having the time of his life behind the kit. Together, these songs put the band firmly on the home straight, and the quality stays high from there.
Overall, Lifeforms is a triumphant return for ANGELS & AIRWAVES. True to their usual form, it’s both cinematic and catchy, with a stand out second half in particular. It might not escape some of the criticisms that have been levelled DeLonge and co. for a while now – it is a bit cheesy, for example – but longtime fans will no doubt consider this a welcome addition to the band’s back catalogue. The production is great, the hooks are inescapable, and most importantly it provides DeLonge devotees with new music after a few long years spent trying to keep up with all the alien chasing and whatever else it is that’s been keeping him busy.
Rating: 8/10
Lifeforms is set for release on September 24th via Rise Records.
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