As everyone knows, Blink-182 went on indefinite hiatus in 2005. Vocalist and guitarist Tom Delonge started side project Angels & Airwaves which became a success with their debut We Don’t Need to Whisper. Delonge started to explore his music more adventurously than he could in pop punk act Blink 182. After the release of their second album I-Empire, Love is the third instalment from Angels & Airwaves.

Love starts with Et Ducit Mundum Per Luce which sets the scene for the album. The experimentation and the manipulation of sounds created from scratch highlight how Delonge has gone that one step further on this album. It really baffles anybody who is fan of Delonge’s work because it shows the progress he has made since 2005 when he was singing about first dates. Flight of the Apollo is a fantastic track after opener Et Ducit Mundum Per Luce because the introduction starts off quiet with Delonge singing “I’m floating, and something’s reaching out/Vibrations, can you hear them now?” which makes the listener feel like they’re on a NASA mission ready to launch into space. It then transcends into a pounding drum beat accompanied by guitars which is unexpected. What makes this an excellent track are the violins that are incorporated into the song because it gives it more texture. The input of strings make the listener feel like they’re sitting on top of the world.

Young London continues from Flight of The Apollo which has a stomping and marching drum beat making it almost feel like a political statement. But it’s far from being a political statement because as album title and lyrics suggest, this is about the unpredictable topic of love “They move together and dance so colourful/And kiss like flowers that breathe with pheromones.” Epic Holiday is a track that incorporates big fat sounding synthesisers and quirky guitar riffs. But it’s one that slightly resembles Blink 182 because it’s just a God damn fun song with it’s affectionate chorus “Let’s start a riot! Nobody’s right, nobody’s wrong/Life’s just a game, it’s just one epic holiday!” Hallucinations highlights the band’s capabilities in the introduction with it’s wonderful sounds and samples which are nicely accompanied by violins. Again the chorus has the same bite as Epic Holiday which will have anybody singing every time. The Moon Atomic (…Fragments and Fictions) is an emotional track which makes you involuntarily join in with the chorus “We are all that we are/So terribly sorry.” What’s really significant about the track are the sounds at the end which resemble U2’s guitarist The Edge and Pink Floyd.

Love is a fantastic sequel to I-Empire which was definitely worth three years wait. What’s most impressive is how Angels & Airwaves hold their sound together really well. It is evident that Delonge has become more aware of his options in music and that he’s definitely become more experimental and adventurous since the days of Blink 182. It’s refreshing to see how far the man has come because every song is a stand out on Love. The arrangements are carefully thought out which anyone should admire.