Record Review: Angels & Airwaves

Filled with electronics, a mix of fast and slow-moving beats and feel-good tracks, Angels & Airwaves’ I-Empire is a good album, but not a great album. Guitarist Tom DeLonge, former member of Blink-182, has a fairly generic voice, but it is catchy, vibrant and of course triggers nostalgia for Blink-182. “Rite of Spring” is upbeat and youthful, with lyrics that detail the tribulations of being a teenager: “It was then when I turned sixteen / Got kicked out of school / Things were closing in and ready to blow/ My dad moved out about that year or so.” “Jumping Rooftops” is a little odd, as it is a 45-second track of technology and special effects — no words and no notable instrumentals. The acoustic track, “The Gift,” displays the impressive guitar skills of DeLonge and David Kennedy, but DeLonge’s voice is weak and drowned out by the guitars. I-Empire is catchy and enjoyable, but in no way an album to worship.