Angels & Airwaves - I-Empire
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Music CD Cover
Artist: Angels & AirwavesEdition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 2007-11-06
Music Label: Geffen Records
Soundtracks:
- Call To Arms
- Everything's Magic
- Breathe
- Love Like Rockets
- Sirens
- Secret Crowds
- Star Of Bethlehem
- True Love
- Lifeline
- Jumping Rooftops
- Rite Of Spring
- Heaven
Free Music Notes for I-Empire
Free Music Review: AvA, Tom, have outdone themselves
Hit: 5 Stars
Let me start by saying I had goosebumps nearly the entire time I listened to this album for the first time, and my heart was racing. I am even getting them now as I remember the first time I heard the album.
**Note for this wishing to read the condensed version of this review skip the individual songs!
Angels and Airwaves sophomore album, I-Empire, is far and away better than their debut We Don't Need to Whisper. AvA fans will appreciate the direction the band is heading. I-Empire will appeal more to new fans than their original thanks to catchier songs and more inspirational lyrics. I have been a huge fan of AvA since WDNtW and a longer fan of Tom since his Blink days, and I must say both Tom and AvA have outdone themselves with this one.
The album is less repetitive all around (within songs and melodies), and most of the songs have shorter intro's. I feel this is an improvement, but fans of WDNtW's long intro's and repetive chorus' will not like this, however I feel those people are in the minority, so I'm viewing this as a plus.
*If you buy the album from Best Buy you get two bonus tracks exclusive through BB: Everything's Magic Acoustic and Do It For Me Now Acoustic. Let me say AvA is NOT meant to be listened to acoustically. The songs sound very different to their electric brethren and it's not worth the extra 3 dollars so do yourself a favor and buy the album off of Amazon.
1. Call to Arms (*****) - This song is a great opener and sets the tone for the entire album. It's notions of fearful longing are offset by lyrics of comfort, and the heart and love is established as a major motiff of the album. The tone is upbeat and the melody catchy, Blink fans will find very slight hints of the old Tom.
2. Everything's Magic (****) - Their hit single. This song is a little too catchy with it's chop pop melody, but it is still very good. It continues themes of lonliness that is washed away by the magic of Tom's voice.
3. Breathe (***) - This is a slower song, but as it should be as the lyrics deal with a person asking someone if she knows he loves her. Their is less rhythmic creativity, but it is compensated for by the heartfelt lyrics and partially the nature of the song.
4. Love Like Rockets (****) - This is a catchy, upbeat song that establishes the second major motiff of the album, feeling alive. The echoing chorus reminds me a lot of a song off of their first album.
5. Sirens (*****) - A wonderful, wonderful song which can be interpretted different ways. Tom says it's about a murderer who is going into the house of the girl he is obsessed about in order to kill her. I never saw it that way before I heard his spin on it, and still can't really draw the parallels. He does mention the name comes from the Sirens of Greek Mythology, not the telephone ring in the lyrics. The song's chorus seems to deal more with the troubles of growing up and finding someone to love. Otherwise why would he ask "Do you know I'm still feeling the pain of my first love? I can't let it go." It is deceptively upbeat, extremely pleasing on the ears, and leaves you with a sense of nostalgia.
6. Secret Crowds (*****) - This is the heart of the album and where the name "I-Empire" is derived. It comes from building an empire within yourself and making the world yours, or yours to share with whom you will. The lyrics express passion, desire, and love.
7. Star of Bethleham (*) - This is nothing but an extended intro into True Love, an from my perspective unneccessary.
8. True Love (**) - This song will have you dreaming of Christmas and winter at the outset. It then transitions into notions of guiding light. The song' repetetion (chorus and similar material to Breath) and the long intro lend me to give it a low rating; it's not all that special.
9. Lifeline (****) - The vocals in this song are different than what we've been used to hearing up to this point. They are not dramatic but they are enough to give this song a new edge we haven't heard before. It is one of the slower songs I like a lot more. Not too long, not too short.
10. Jumping Rooftops (**) - No vocals in this one. Who wouldn't want to hear Tom's voice?
11. Rite of Spring (*****) - This song is very different than all AvA's other songs. It has the same AvA tone but it is just different. Maybe the personalized lyrics lend it to have a different composure, I'm not sure. This song is like a mature Blink song with the AvA tone. The lyrics are absolutely amazing. You will feel ready to tackle the world after hearing this.
12. Heaven (****) - A catchy song in which contrasting rhythms of chorus and verses compliment each other. I assume he is talking about finding a lover, though it could be interpreted as finding a friend. It is fitting that this song is last because of the lyrics "and the world will begin exactly how it ends." Original fans will like what the band has done at the very end of this song, but you have to listen very close or you'll miss it.
The album as a whole will appeal to people because of Tom's ability to inspire listeners with hope. The lyrics combine peerlessly with the melodies to give a truly unique sense of comfort and shelter from lonliness while simultaneously inspiring us to live each day to the fullest, and I believe, make us all better people on the inside. You can't beat that, and I don't think AvA will ever put out a better album than this one. But I'm hoping I'm wrong ;)
I-Empire Poster
Angels & Airwaves first single "Everything's Magic," is a synth-rock anthem that resonates with a refreshing spirit and inspired energy. "Just sit back and hold on tight," sings Tom DeLonge in the song, offering sound advice for the entire album.Angels & Airwaves is former blink-182 & Box Car Racer guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge, Offspring drummer Atom Willard, David Kennedy notably from Hazen Street and Box Car Racer and now former 30 Seconds to Mars bassist Matt Wachter. (Bassist Ryan Sinn, formerly of The Distillers, departed from the band earlier this year).
I-Empire, Angels & Airwaves second album was written and produced by Tom DeLonge.
Released only two years after Blink-182 announced its indefinite hiatus, the second album by singer-guitarist Tom DeLonge's other band, Angels & Airwaves, makes it feel like a lifetime. There's not a single poop joke or bubblegum punk anthem to be found among the grand themes of I-Empire, an album that finds the shrill frontman grappling with politics, paranoia, and the spiritual world. Unlike the contributions to his former group's last self-titled release, however, DeLonge has finally realized that getting mature doesn't mean getting boring. For all its cathartic lyrics, I-Empire is actually packed with dazzling, fast-moving songs, like "Everything's Magic" and "Sirens," that bring together U2's widescreen guitar flights with tuneful, straightforward punk melodies. This could very well be his best work yet.--Aidin Vaziri
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