Blink-182 – Enema Of The State (1999)

This album broke Blink-182 into the mainstream. Prior to this, they had set themselves up as a novelty sort of group for skater punks and young college tools. After the release of this album, they widened and broadened their audience to a mainstream perspective.

The songs are definitely here, along with the production and mixing. It sounds much better than what their previous releases did. Plus, Blink-182 had an image to boot as well. This is their highest selling album to date. It’s excellent, so let’s dive in and check it out.

We begin with Dumpweed. It’s a short tale about college romance, and desperately attempting to hold it all together. It’s short, sharp and just perfect to start off the album with.

The feeling of betrayal by a girl enters the scene. Don’t Leave Me is all about that. It’s a very good listen and continues the strength of the album. These songs are shorter than you’d expect, but just top notch all the same.

Aliens Exist is a story about contact with alien life. It’s a typical Tom Delonge penned idea and something he is semi-obsessed with, even to this day. Sadly, Tom Delonge is no longer an active Blink-182 member, but he captures the surreal well here.

Going Away To College is a tale of trust in dealing with the said title of the song. It’s very American Pie-ish this album and is reflected in the choice of song subjects and selected works here. Still, it is very good.

The follow up What’s My Age Again? speaks of young adult immaturity, and never being able to hold down a relationship due to this particular reason. It’s quite melodic and catchy. Never a dull moment on this album.

The next song Dysentery Gary is about a guy who loses his mind over heartache with girls. It’s a very short and interesting twist for Blink-182.

Adam’s Song talks directly about suicide. It’s a great song though, and directly quotes Nirvana into Blink-182 territory: “I took my time, I hurried up. The choice was mine, I didn’t think enough.” It’s a strong statement and is consistent enough to remain sitting well in the middle of the album, segueing into the next song.

All The Small Things was the last song recorded for this album, but you can hear why. It’s the best song on that album and is a party song for sure. It’s so catchy and has a wonderful melody to boot. Enjoy this hit single of theirs.

The follow up is The Party Song which is hilarious. The best lyric in it is, “Some girls try too hard,” which is true but listen to the song lyrics for further understanding on this one. It’s hilarious and awesome, which is what Blink-182 did best.

The song afterward, Mutt is much more punky and humourous than you’d think. It tells the story of an interesting couple who just are in it for the sex. It’s comical, and worth your attention.

Wendy Clear is a nonsense story and perhaps is a little weak because of it. But it sits as a bridging piece towards the end of the album.

Anthem finishes the album with a hilarious story of a house party being thrown. These guys obviously had a decent sense of humour and it flows in this tale of underage fun. The album ends nicely here.

After the release of All The Small Things as a single, Blink-182 went mega. They stayed this way until 2005, when Tom Delonge left the band for personal reasons. Things were not the same again after that for Blink-182. Still, this recording is exactly what you need if you want some 90’s punk with attitude. The loud guitars here point to that, it’s a keeper this album.

9/10