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Angels & Airwaves – Lifeforms

Florian Buechting Media Review No Comments

Angels & Airwaves - Lifeforms

Angels & Airwaves - Lifeforms
3.4

Rating

 3.4/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Characteristic sound
  • Nice melodic work between rock and electronic sounds
  • First album after seven years.

Flyctory.com Cons

  • Half of the album has been released already
  • Some rather weak songs

When I told my wife that I got a new Angels & Airwaves album through a promotion platform, her initial reaction was “I thought they stopped doing music”. Lifeforms is the proof that my wife was wrong. The release date is 24th September 2021.

 

Angels & Airwaves – About The Artist

Angels & Airwaves is an alternative rock band from San Diego, California. The lead of the band is Tom DeLonge (vocals, keyboard, guitar). He was part of the founding of Angels & Airwaves in 2005, after Blink-182 went on hiatus in 2005. The other founding members were David Kennedy (guitar, keyboard), Ryan Sinn (bass) and Atom Willard (drums). All these original members had left the band – however, Kennedy, came back in 2005 and 2018. The band lineup is nowadays complete with Ilan Rubin (drums, percussion) and Matt Rubano (bass).

The band’s debut album We Don’t Need to Whisper has been released in 2006, just about one year after Angels & Airwaves have been formed. The album became a Top 10 release in the USA, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. Until 2014, they released four additional albums. However, none of the albums could connect to the succes of the debut album. Their last release, the 2014 The Dream Walker, just made it to the Top 40 in their home country and a Top 100 placement in the United Kingdom.

 

Angels & Airwaves – Lifeforms – Track by Track

The ten song album lasts 38 minutes.

1. Timebomb

If you exclude the significantly distorted intro, Timebomb feels like Angels & AIrways from the very first second. Very straight, melodic alternative rock with electronic elements. Maybe the song misses a bit of a grip, a catching element. However, i cannot argue against that I especially enjoy listening to the chorus.

2. Euphoria

Four of the first five tracks have already been released as Angels & Airwaves singles. The musical style of Euphoria feels a bit wider than the opening track – there are more guitar riffs, but also more keyboard and synthesizer elements in this song. The song plays with different elements and layers – which works out partially only in my point of view. Not a bad listen, but the song feels like it could be better.

3. Spellbound

That girl will be your end
And she’ll bury you underground
She’ll ki
ll you now and then
Cause your heart has been spellbound
And if you try to run
If it goes it comes around
It’s not hard to die from love
When your heart has been spellbound

Out of the three starting tracks, this is my favorite one. It does not feel too made up or artificial, but comes with a straight, clear structure and sound. Nonetheless, there is this combination of rock and electronic elements, which lead to the sound of AVA, how the band is typically abbreviated.

4. No More Guns

In fact, No More Guns is the only song in the first half of the album, which has not been published before the Lifeforms release. Quite some bad luck – the song is powerful and catching and comes with a great alternative sound. I also enjoy the groove of the song and its lyrics – here is, for example, the beginning of the song:

It’s early in the morning
And I’m sitting at the table’
Drinking shots of ancient whiskey
Cause I don’t feel all that stable

5. Losing My Mind

The fourth (and last) single release on this album. The song is nice, but it does not catch me as much as other tracks on the album so far did. I like the vocal performance here, but the track does not stay in my mind – how do you feel about it?

6. Automatic

If I would have selected the single releases… Automatic would have definitely been higher on my list than its predecessor. That’s maybe why I am a small German blogger – and AVA are (still) a big name in alternative music. Vice versa, this also means: I like the song. Automatic has also a good potential to entertain the band’s fans when they are in concert. By the way, the press kit calls this song She’s Automatic, while the stream just Automatic – sorry for any confusion.

7. Restless Souls

Don’t you cry
it only hurts when
You look with your eyes
A thousand years have passed
From day to night,
From death to light
When we feel like the world’s caving in
We will never give in

Restless Souls feels a bit similar to other songs of the album – but this seventh track is really a nice and solid recording. Good listen without adding too much new character to this collection of ten songs.

8. Rebel Girl

Nice chorus, nice lyrics – and a great composing of the melody: I especially like the keyboard and synth part of Rebel Girl, which is overall a song with great energy. One of the prime recordings of the album to me.

9. A Fire In A Nameless Town

The second last track on the album is a bit slower, a bit more quiet. This leads to a special sound. Unfortunately, I feel that A Fire In A Nameless Town is one of the weaker songs of Lifeforms.

10. Kiss And Tell

Kiss And Tell concludes the album. The song is an August 2019 release. Some parts are average to me – some are rather below that. Bad luck – the last two songs give a bit of a negative feeling to me.

 

Angels & Airwaves – Lifeforms – Spotify

Here is Lifeforms on Spotify:

 

Angels & Airwaves – Lifeforms – My View

I feel that Lifeforms is a solid album – not a good one. There are some good tracks. On the other hand, I just cannot speak of a happy ending when I look at the last two tracks of the album. AVA fans get five new tracks. I feel that if you need some alternative background music on a roadtrip or similar, the album is a quite good choice. If you are looking for an alternative rock album which catches you with versatile songs, deep moments and great instrumental work, better look out for another option.

 

Postings about US Rock Music

Here are all my Music & Media postings about rock music and the USA:

 

(Greater) Orlando – Postings

Orlando is much more than Disney – here are all postings about the Entertainment Wonderland:

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