Blink 182 dropped One More Time… last weekend, their first full length release since Tom DeLonge rejoined the band, replacing Matt Skiba (who in my opinion did a very serviceable job for the group over the course of 2 albums). I saw Skiba play with them on their Enema of the State album playthrough tour, and I thought he did the album justice.

The last time Blink came together as a unit was with 2011’s Neighborhoods, a progressive late-stage release for the band that, at the time, I thought was showing the direction the band was going. But then Tom did his whole ‘ufologist’ thing (which we all should have seen coming). And the band as we knew it appeared to be on permanent hiatus.

Fast forward to October 20th, a day that fans waited for with great fear and trepidation. A lot of time has passed, and a lot of things have happened since 2011. Would they band get right back in step, or had too much rust developed over time? I wasn’t ready to cast judgment last Friday, but I am now.

One More Time… starts with “Anthem Pt. 3,” and musically jumps right back into the same Blink that fans know and love. But something seemed off in the lyrics. Like, they just didn’t feel as natural and sincere as the other two “Anthems,” which remain some of the best Blink tracks. Despite all that, It’s still probably the best classic Blink track on the album.

And as the album went on, I became more and more disconcerted about the words. One thing I’ve always enjoyed about Blink is that even in the midst of all their dick and fart jokes, they’re lyrics were clever. And when they were sincere, it was pure magic. There’s a reason that “Adam’s Song” did and continues to have such an impact on the world related to suicide.

But on One More Time… the lyrics started feeling very…generic. Like if you took away the voices and Blink instrumentals, they could easily be sung by any pop-rock act out there. Even the title track, which references Mark’s cancer and Travis’ brush with death in a plane crash, felt phoned in. Especially as the hook relied way to heavily on the line “I Miss You,” which was fan service at best, and a cheap callback at the worst.

Then I found out that the band hadn’t written the lyrics but employed songwriters. And I all clicked into place. There’s a reason the songs sound like generic pop; it’s because they are! The band hired some skilled writers, who must have given a cursory glance over the back catalogue enough to realize they should throw in some “shits” and sex references where they could. But otherwise, did nothing to distinguish the album as a Blink 182 specific pop-punk record. Which for me, took out all the heart and soul of what makes a Blink 182 album so special.

Musically the album is fine. They’re still able to do the Blink riffs. Some of the tracks feel more akin to their side projects (Angels and Airwaves, Boxcar Racer, +44) but they still sound good. Tom’s voice is less distinctively nasally than it has in the past, which could have been a mixing issue. Or maybe that’s something that comes with age.

It’s a mixed bag overall. Honestly, my favorite track on the album is the 27 second long “Fuck Face” which is a blistering 80’s hardcore song that reminded me that the band sounds best when they don’t care about trying to gain an audience.

One More Time… is not a bad album. And perhaps I had my expectations set too high. But it’s just so mediocre that it’s hard not to be disappointed. This is one of the few times that I agreed with a Pitchfork low score review. I’ll definitely spin it a few more times, but I would definitely rank this near the bottom of their discography along with NINE, which unfortunately was just as forgettable.