In my wildest nightmares, I never thought I'd like anything connected with Blink 182, the kind of evil, pointless, American band that makes me want to eat my own vomit. But here comes one of the most staggeringly good side projects in living memory. Box Car Racer.
Box Car Racer is clearly Tom Delonge's baby. Having rid himself of Mark Hoppus and his evil faux-nu-punk ethics, it seems that Delonge has been given a chance to express himself.
"I Feel So" is startling rush of punk-emo, Delonge's familiar whiny tones suddenly become genuinely affecting, and this plea for attention and admittance of misery draws you into it's depressed little world. Even a pointless, self indulgent piano intro can't spoil a record as good as this.
It sounds as if Delonge has been let off the leash by master Hoppus, and he’s produced a record good enough to rank alongside the emo perfection of Rival Schools and Jimmy Eat World.
Forget all you know about the banality of Blink 182. Cherish all you hear of this band. Box Car Racer, as some Blink fans might say, Fucking Rule!!!
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8Robert Luckett's Score