Driven Far Off

In 2005, when Blink-182 went on an indefinite hiatus and Angels & Airwaves was introduced, Tom DeLonge began advocating his new band by surrounding it with unprecedented hype. Everyone sat around and waited for what he alleged to be the “greatest rock band ever”. Needless to say, the debut was substandard and it did not live up to its claims. Similar to this 2006 effort We Don’t Need To Whisper, the sophomore release I-Empire uses prodigious and enchanting sounds, layered with an inclusive conceptual message. While the debut Whisper focused more on leaving one’s realm to find another, I-Empire concentrates on finding one’s self in its own royal domain. Although I-Empire does not completely miss the mark, its swagger consists of top heavy glimmering synth and an overabundance of DeLonge’s melancholy vocals.

I-Empire commences with an illuminating ditty called “Call To Arms”. Its industrial sounds and chiming chorus effectively sets the tone of the the album. “Everything’s Magic,” the first single, is undoubtedly the paramount song off the record. It contains ingrediants that suggest something special although, like each song on the album, it never fully peaks. However, slower numbers like “Breathe” and “Secret Crowds” deliver more characterization to DeLonge’s ‘person finding self’ concept, rather than most of his upbeat catalog. Other standout tracks include: “True Love” and “Heaven”.

I-Empire’s composition is sharp and its tone is invocative, but it never completely flourishes into its own. Although Angels & Airwaves don’t fail to impress, they fall short of further progressing. If you found anything on Whisper to be alluring, I would say that it’s worth a listen, but I am definitely selling this one.

Tracklisting
1. Call To Arms
2. Everything’s Magic
3. Breathe
4. Love Like Rockets
5. Sirens
6. Secret Crowds
7. Star of Bethlehem
8. True Love
9. Lifeline
10. Jumping Rooftops
11. Rite of Spring
12. Heaven