I-Empire [UK]

Abandoning his former band's jokey pop-punk for a sound made up of equal parts post-punk grandeur and new wave shimmer, Blink-182's Tom Delonge started Angels and Airwaves with the mission to make music that was as big and important as U2 or Echo and the Bunnymen. He's one step closer with the impressive new I-EMPIRE.
Opener "Call to Arms" is just that: a huge, arena-filling mission statement that combines airy, dissonant guitars with an upright, marching back beat. Delonge's voice, once a weak link, has grown more confident and less adolescent. He's able to handle sun-dappled ballads like "Breathe" as easily as harder-rocking stuff like "Secret Crowds." "Rite of Spring" reminisces about a childhood saved by joining a band, revealing a tender side that Delonge rarely indulged during Blink's tenure at the top of the punk-pop heap. The freedom of a new project resonates throughout the album, with Delonge and his bandmates reaching far outside of their box to make music that they hope will really matter for people. It's an admirable goal, and the band seems up to the challenge.