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It took a few albums, but blink-182 finally nailed it with Enema of the State. The band didn't get to this point without some intervention though. In the interim, Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge would part ways with drummer Scott Raynor, recruiting drummer extraordinaire Travis Barker to take his place. They also linked up with producer Jerry Finn, whose technical knowledge and meticulous tendencies helped guide the band in capturing tight, punchy, undeniably catchy sounds and performances that would hook the attention of the masses. Finn dialed back the distortion a little on the guitars and the result is a tone that still crunches, but now has a lot more definition. Hoppus' bass always had a lot of definition with the tweaked treble, but with the help of Finn, the bass actually carries a great deal of low end that was missing up until this point. As for the drums, they have way more attack and they are sounding far more dynamic. Finn also had a great ear for layering that often resulted in truly epic conclusions. Techniques like reprising past guitar riffs, stacking main, secondary, and backup vocal lines, and incorporating additional instrumentation (auxiliary percussion, pianos, synthesizers, and organs for example) turned the band's modest pop-punk songs into arena sized anthems. I could point to any of the album's three singles (What's My Age Again?, All the Small Things, and Adam's Song) to illustrate this.
Finn is not the only one who has made a huge impact on the band's sound. When Hoppus and DeLonge recruited Barker, they didn't just pick another drummer, they picked a superstar with boundless energy, power, and creativity. He's a brilliant musician and songwriter whose diverse influences and remarkable bag of fills contribute countless memorable moments. With the album opener, Dumpweed, Barker shows us immediately how his playing makes a world of difference. The intro has an incredible guitar riff from DeLonge and to highlight that, Barker just keeps time with some open hi-hats, crashing explosively only when the guitar phrase turns over. Instead of playing straight beats in the verse and pre-chorus sections, Barker creatively employs double strokes on the snare, flails widely between open hi-hat wisps and ride bells, and actually uses rests (which for a drummer is crazy, I know) to create more intricate and interesting rhythms. When it comes to the chorus, Barker shows that he can get right down to punk basics as he launches into a blistering double-timed D-beat with an absolutely devastating drum fill. More than just the high level of technical skill - which is brought to every single track - Barker also experiments with instrument choice. A good example of this is Adam's Song where he incorporates nearly every kind of cymbal (China, splash, ride bell, open hi-hats) into the drum beat. I could also point to Dysentery Gary where in a brief cool down moment, Barker opts to go for a side-sticking technique that I'm pretty sure hasn't been used in a blink song by that point. Barker gave blink-182 so many unique possibilities. With the three of them working together, building off each others' ideas, the band became infinitely more fun and exciting.
Throughout Enema of the State, the band just doesn't seem to miss. I love Dysentery Gary for the great guitar riff, the start-stop verses, and the stark dynamics. The humour in this song also lands pretty hard as DeLonge goes in on the guy who stole his girl, going as far to emasculate him and make thinly veiled physical threats. DeLonge is so aggressive for the duration of the track that hearing Hoppus' most measured internal tantrum before the second chorus is actually hilarious. Speaking of Hoppus, the man's bass playing truly stands out on Mutt thanks to one catchy riff after another. We have the galloping power chords in the beginning and a great riff in the chorus that combines hammer-ons, pull-offs, more power chords, and some subtle sliding. As far as bass goes, it is one of the most active tracks on the record. Anthem is also super catchy right off the bat with the guitar's chord progression. I love the way DeLonge adds the major third in the second bar of the phrase, making it feel like the song has upward momentum while still staying on the same chord. The rapid rolls on the hi-hat that Barker busts in with kick this album closer off to a great start, and the energy only ramps up as the song kicks into double-time.
Lastly, I have to praise the vocals because there is not one moment in which Hoppus or DeLonge audibly stumble. DeLonge has proved to be a versatile singer on this record by giving powerfully angst-ridden, fried performances on tracks like Dumpweed, Dysentery Gary, and Anthem as well as more full-bodied performances on tracks like the wondrous and playful Aliens Exist. Hoppus is the perfect foil to DeLonge's more treble boosted timbre, and his understated delivery is often what makes blink's funnier moments really connect, like on the obliviously juvenile What's My Age Again? The two are vocally flawless and have so much vocal chemistry together that the only thing I really could wish for is to hear them swap leads on the same song.
Enema of the State was life-changing to a young, impressionable pre-teen. Probably to the dismay of my parents who forced their (I want to say) nine year old son to return the CD upon inspecting the liner notes. I continued to listen despite this little setback and I would go on to try and emulate all of Barker's fills. Some of the first basslines and guitar riffs I learned upon picking up the instruments when I was in high-school came from this record. On top of that, hearing these incredibly simple, yet effectively catchy songs inspired me to start a band and attempt to write my own songs. When I say that blink was the beginning for me, I really mean it and this was the album that set everything in motion. Without it, I'm sure I wouldn't have gotten off the sidelines and fully converted from just a music listener into an obsessed musician. In many ways, Enema of the State was a new beginning for blink as well. The band, in my opinion, certainly didn't reach their peak with this record. They would continue to refine their sound, approach darker, more emotional territory, and write more thoughtful, relevant songs that would become timeless.