Album Review: Tom DeLonge - 'To The Stars...Demos, Odds and Ends'

When Tom DeLonge parted ways with Blink-182, or didn’t, or when that thing happened and Matt Skiba stepped forward to take his place, he confused us all. It’s hard to hate the voice that you got so attached to when you first discovered Blink in your teens, and it’s even harder to grasp the trivial drama that news sites started reporting about Blink-182’s little spat.

And then there’s this record – a demos, odds and 'ends' album – that either made you roll your eyes or secretly cheer while other people did. The fact is that it was never going to be well-received in light of everything that went down, and it’s also a bit unnecessary. But God, is it a nostalgia trip.

If you’re a Tom DeLonge fan, these eight tracks are like Happy Meal toys. Dive into ‘New World’, ‘An Endless Summer’ and ‘Landscapes’ to catch hints of Angels & Airwaves popping up in the tunes. ‘Landscapes’ could easily find itself being the spacey, ambient interlude to the outfit’s last effort, ‘The Dream Walker’.

If you’re more of a Blink enthusiast, you can infer by its title that ‘Circle-Jerk-Pit’ is probably for you. Funnily enough, it doesn’t even conform to the direction that post-‘Neighborhoods’ Blink seemed to be heading in, but nevertheless. Its intriguing rapidity and DeLonge’s edgy, ambitious punk vocals would be pretty easy to foot-tap to if the song didn’t leave you so damn puzzled. The LP’s closer is also one for the Blink fans, from its repulsive vulgarity to its pop-punky guitars. Another tip for classic-Tom fans is to stay away from the highly unusual ‘Animal’, which fits under the ‘odds’ umbrella of the compilation record quite well.

And then there’s ‘Suburban Kings’ and ‘The Invisible Parade’. While the former is polarising, with lyrics like ‘Tommy need a new guitar’ leaving you with the choice of finding it either endearing or immature, the latter is the standout of the collection. It’s acoustic, heartfelt, and the most sincere sounding tune on the LP. If you claim an interest in DeLonge in the slightest, it’s imperative that you check this one out.

Overall, this little compilation isn’t a punishment to listen to, but it’s not something to commit to memory. It’s just ‘Demos, Odds and Ends’, right?

If you’re a die-hard Blink-182 fan who feels royally aggravated about Tom’s current absence (same), this compilation will infuriate you. If you’re a die-hard Tom DeLonge fan who couldn’t care less, it will appease you. If you’re neither, it’s not that important, honestly.

1. New World

2. An Endless Summer

3. Suburban Kings

4. The Invisible Parade

5. Circle-Jerk-Pit

6. Landscapes

7. Animals

8. Golden Showers in the Golden State