The court jesters in Blink-182 also rendezvoused with their inner new-wavers on their self-titled 2003 album. "Asthenia" is peppered with handclaps and ringing, retro-flavored chords, while skinny-tie synths and layered harmonies dot the beach-blanket pop-punk of "Always." Heck, bassist Mark Hoppus even sported some serious Robert Smith bedhead action while performing "Down" on Letterman a few weeks ago -- obviously in tribute to the Cure vocalist, who guest-starred on "All of This." Like No Doubt, however, Blink's musical evolution hasn't equaled a drop in sonic quality. If anything, its drum loops ("Feeling This"), piano-laced punk ("Stockholm Syndrome"), and spooky spoken-word/percussion interludes ("Violence") have made aggressive numbers like "Obvious" and "Easy Target" -- as well as TRL-friendly fare like "I Miss You" -- sound (gasp!) mature.
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