The Dream Walker - Angels & Airwaves

It's been three years since we last heard new music from Angels & Airwaves and they have officially broken their silence. AvA released their fourth studio album, "The Dream Walker," today. AvA is most well-known because of frontman Tom DeLonge, who is guitarist/vocalist of Blink 182. The album is only one-fifth of a multimedia project that includes a short film, novel, comic books, and a graphic novel that follows the journeys of a Dream Walker named Poet Anderson. The short film recently won the Best Animated Short Film Award at the Toronto International Short Film Festival and the album is currently #1 in seven countries.

AvA have always been a band driven by spacey synth sounds and DeLonge's recognizable drawl and this album isn't much different. The album opens with a piano and synth introduction in "Teenagers & Rituals." The blur of time and dates, that a drink or 2, or 3 relieve. I'm not sure if I can get into analyzing the lyrics because DeLonge can be a complicated guy. The first time I heard this song (just under 12 hours ago) I was happy and relieved. I didn't want AvA to dive deep into the use of synths that drown out the vocals and guitars (like the singles, "Paralyzed" and "The Wolfpack") and I wasn't disappointed.

"Paralyzed" and "The Wolfpack" were the two singles of the album and, to be honest, they didn't set my expectations very high. I just wasn't a fan of the sound. The lyrics were thoughtful and deep like many AvA songs, but I couldn't hear them because the synths were too overpowering. If I had to pick, I would say "Paralyzed" is my favorite of the two because it has a catchy chorus and beat. The only music video so far is for "The Wolfpack" and it had nothing to do with how I interpreted the song. Full of animal masks and confused looking people, it was just overall hard to follow. The intro definitely emphasizes the spacey feeling. After looking up the lyrics, I gained a greater respect for each song because DeLonge is truly a lyrical genius. I'm not saying that I don't like these songs since you can still find me singing along to every word, they just weren't my favorite.

DeLonge wrote a lengthy interpretation of "Tunnels" on Facebook that greatly helped how I was able to listen and understand the song. He wrote the verses years ago, which explains why the sound resembles something a little older than the rest of the album. DeLonge stated on his Facebook that he wrote the verses based on a paranormal experience where he woke up and felt his late father's presence. Then two years later, he wrote the chorus about how "something beautiful and epic is on the other side." I'd thank God, but then what is he for? Because I left a few calls at his front door, I'll leave more. I love the high guitar motif in the background - it especially stands out when DeLonge takes a breath and transitions into the next verse/chorus. The last few verses that end with "when you die" is kind of chilling, but like DeLonge said, "there is something beautiful and epic" waiting. Bringing in some religious ideas and even mentioning God is a rare moment in the songs DeLonge writes which is how they seem to pack a bigger meaning.

After a one minute intro of synths, DeLonge breaks out into a fast-paced song, "Mercenaries." The vocals are strained differently which makes the song stand out to me. I feel kind of hypocritical because in a way this song resembles the two singles, yet I really I love this song. When you feel alone, here's a little hand, and a thought 'cause you were on my mind. I've watched countless videos of DeLonge perform (from Blink 182 to AvA to Box Car Racer) and I can tell - if AvA decides to tour - that this will be an amazing song live. I have a picture of what it would look like and I hope it becomes reality one day (even though I'm against the idea of DeLonge performing without a guitar like he usually does with AvA - it just doesn't look natural). Another song that shows a different strain of the vocals and a different energy is "Bullets in the Wind" which I also believe will be a great song to see performed live.

I might have saved the best for last. I don't want to say it's my favorite, because all of the songs are great for their own reasons, but this song I did put on repeat for a few times during the day. "Anomaly" is a very rare kind of AvA song and I'm grateful. The only song I can relate to this is the acoustic version of "The Gift" that is at the end of their first album, "I-Empire." The intro also reminds me of the start of Blink 182's "Boxing Day" - it's a very slowed down, quieter version of the same guitar riffs. I never wanted to say how much I liked you, I never wanted to be one of your sad discoveries. Maybe one of the reasons I love this song is because the lyrics seem relatable. It's a love song, nothing more, nothing less. I never wanted to coast, always wanted to be an anomaly. It's such an unexpected sound from this band. There's no synth whatsoever. It's a perfect ending to the album that parallels the ending of 2007's "I-Empire." My girl, I think I'm in love, it's the scariest place to be alive.

I did leave a few songs out, but I wanted to talk about the few that have stood out to me in the 12 hours that this album has been out. I know I'll probably interpret these songs a bit differently after I see the other adaptions of Poet Anderson's story, but I wanted to get my thoughts about just the album down first. This album only confirmed that DeLonge's voice is possible my favorite voice I have ever heard (which is saying something). There's nothing like it. As much as I love AvA and their current success, I hope DeLonge gets back in the studio with Blink 182 again soon.


xx Nikole