Angels And Airwaves are back with ‘The Dream Walker’; an album that is infectious and dark, pushing the lyrical boundaries and dragging out the dramatics.
The band, lead by Tom Delonge, tart up the music with enough energy and guile to satisfy. Their focus is very clear, operating their hearts like bags of sweet truth. ‘The Dream Walker’ is dotted with flair and imagination. Lyrically it’s very challenging, emotional and sophisticated.
Delonge’s song writing ability has been questioned over the years. His bratty, snotty nosed, simple lyrics have suited his other band Blink 182, but he needed to delve more into maturity. He’s certainly done that on ‘The Dream Walker’. Poetic lines flood the contribution, offering the intellectual music listener wordplay that evokes.
The music has certainly been elevated on this album and it powers on with a green light. It has bite, more bite than past efforts, more precision and melody.
‘Teenagers And Rituals’ opens the album. It begins with a soft touch of piano, then Delonge’s angelic voice flashes through. The beats are arresting and the snippets of a low key guitar keep the contribution fresh. ‘Tunnels’ is a song that commences with Delonge singing about bad dreams and misery. He seems to be the protagonist that craves to escape the hardships of life with his heart intact. The chorus is masterful and the guitar is executed superbly.
‘Bullets In The Wind’ is different. It’s punky and fast paced. The guitars are played with velocity and Delonge’s words are vivid, so dark, but stick to realism. ‘Tremors’ is a track that highlights the trademark sound of the band, a vibe that is very original and sincere. A vibe that people who are fond of the band will know. ‘Anomaly’ is completely different. It has been dipped into the river of sincerity. The acoustic guitar is strummed with elegance and the lyrics are monumental, expressing yearning and purity.
Angels And Airwaves have upgraded their sound on ‘The Dream Walker’. A more complete and driven sound showing strength both lyrically and musically.