Review - Blink 182 - Dogs Eating Dogs

Blink 182 reunited last year after a short hiatus to record their well-received ‘Neighborhoods’, a look into the demons that each band member had been facing in their lives. Some had gone through marital issues, problems with their side projects, or simply life threw them some shitty curveballs (such as Travis Barker’s plane crashing, killing several people on board). While the album was a way for them to get it all out, perhaps it wasn’t enough.

‘Dogs Eating Dogs’ was recorded not long after ‘Neighborhoods’ wrapped up, but it was done in a dramatically different way. Instead of writing bits and pieces and emailing lyrics and recordings to each other in whatever corner of the globe they might happen to be in, the three of them decided to all actually get together in the studio and make music. Together. TOGETHER.

Just want to emphasize that.

Once they started doing this, they realized that it was a lot more fun and that it helped their creativity, and in one fell swoop they not only changed their recording style, they dropped Interscope, their longtime label.

‘Dogs Eating Dogs’ is only an EP, but it lets the fans know that no matter how or under what distributor, Blink will continue to be making music. The album also confirms that they aren’t done with their darker side, as you won’t find much of their happy-go-lucky singles on here. Instead, there is quite a bit more experimentation than we’re used to. “Boxing Day” is an acoustic number, but Barker (I’m assuming) added in a produced electronic drum kit, much as one might rap over on a mixtape. Then there are the synths (not heavy, don’t worry) on “Pretty Little Girls” and the organ on “When I Was Young”.

No one freak out – this is absolutely still a Blink 182 record, only now, after releasing some of the chains, the boys are free to do whatever they want.

Listen to: the entire EP. It is only five songs long, and you’ll want to sample them all.

Buy