[First Thoughts] Angels and Airwaves Love Pt.2/The Movie

Tom Delonge has been promising a lot of things since the formation of Angels and Airwaves in 2006.  After releasing a few albums that personally did not please this listener, comes Love Part 2.  I was expecting another album full of ambient guitars, 2 minute intros followed by 2 minute outros, boy was I wrong.  On Love Pt. 2 the band has finally found the perfect mixture of ambiance and stadium anthems that they have been trying to accomplish since “We Don’t Need To Whisper.”   This is the album that I’ve been waiting for since the band formed!  It highlights Delonge’s signature vocals perfectly and for the first time on any Angels and Airwaves album, contains some seriously catchy hooks. I can’t believe that I am writing this sentence, but LOVE PT 2 is the album that I wish Blink 182 would have put out, rather than Neighborhoods. This record contains everything I have come to love about Delonge and seeing how much Angels and Airwaves have grown since their release of LOVE just last year is amazing! I cannot quit listening to this record, which is saying a lot as I have never really listened to many of the bands previous releases on repeat for days on end.  If this is any sign as what to expect from the bands next release, they might just be touring stadiums and arenas in the near future.  I can finally say that Delonge has created a record outside of Blink 182 that meets the quality, playability, and longevity as Boxcar Racer. Look for a more detailed review soon.

As for LOVE THE MOVIE, all I can say is watch it.  Don’t turn this movie off after the first 10 or 15 minutes, because you think it makes no sense.  As the movie wraps up, everything ties together almost seamlessly, leaving you scratching your head wondering how in the hell did all of this happen?  The last 10 minutes of the film blew my mind and left me wanting to watch the film again.  The soundtrack Delonge and company composed for this film is brilliant and adds mounds to the total experience.  After almost 5 years of hearing the hype, reading the interviews and watching the band grow, LOVE THE MOVIE puts everything into perspective and gave me a totally new appreciation for the brilliant man that Delonge truly is.  Not only is he a musician, but he is a modern day visionary, creating the film he promised from the beginning no matter how many setbacks, haters or Blink albums he has recorded.  Now that LOVE THE MOVIE has been released, one can begin to see the bigger picture that Delonge has spoken of for many years.  All that I want to know is what does the future hold for Delonge and company now that this massive undertaking has finally been completed?