Album Details

• Artist: Angels & Airwaves
• Album: We Don't Need To Whisper
• Label: Geffen
• Year of Release: 2006
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: solitaryman on 2007-11-06

With a new record right around the corner, it felt proper to go back a bit and take a look at Angels & Airwaves' debut, "We Don't Need To Whisper". Recorded and released a year ago, the actual history of the songs runs back to '04 and the recording of a new Blink 182 album that never saw the light, as Tom Delonge departed and took some of the rough demos with him. AaA are somewhat of a supergroup, containing past members of Boxcar Racer, POD, Rocket from the Crypt, The Offspring and 30 Seconds to Mars, amongst others. They're quite popular today, and these 10 songs justify that in spades.

   Their style is a cross between emo-tinged alt-rock (think The Cure meets some of Blink's softer moments) and spacey, futuristic elements ala 30STM or even Radiohead. The music itself is simple at it's core but through the use of layering and the band's knack for creating a strong atmosphere, it feels much bigger than it actually is. Opener "Valkyrie Missile" is a perfect example, a heavy-handed 6-minute track that begins with radio-to-radio transmissions before falling into a mid-paced rocker. "Distraction" is one of my favorites and it comes next, shifting from a little melody and snappy drumroll into a loud, boisterous anthem. Tom's vocals are the only part of Angels and Airwaves I often have trouble with; as usual he is monotonous and far too nasal in his delivery, but more than most of his previous work you feel he cares more about his lyrics this time around. 

   We Don't Need To Whisper is chock-full of emotional ballads, heavier rockers and an overall feeling of hope and coming to terms with youthful passion that never dies. Each song is like a little piece of a bigger puzzle, one that is still incomplete and hopefully will come together with their next release, I-Empire. It's easy to pigeonhole the group as another attempt at big bucks and little else, but there's true artistic intent behind it and it's a great record if you look past all the hype and hollering and Blink comparisons. That shit has sailed, and in it's place is what I consider to be a much more intriguing and enjoyable manifestation. I thought I'd hate this, but ended up loving most of it. Maybe the same happened to you? Or it's yet to happen...give 'em a chance... 

User Reviews and Comments

Review:

on 2007-11-09 dscanland Said:

I totally agree with your review. We Don't Need To Whisper has been one of my guilty pleasures over the last year or so. I haven't gotten very familiar with it but it's good to turn to Angels and Airwaves for some big rock sounds without the shit.
Rating: 7/10