Mark and Travis have continued the Blink legacy. Though I miss Tom's voice on some tracks, I can easily have seen this album as a followup to the self titled last Blink 182 album. Though it has the fun punk-pop songs I love, it also has some maturity and experimentation. I like this much more than the Angels and Airwaves album which seemed so far removed from the Blink sound which I will always be a fan. Though I would have made Lycanthrope the first single, When Your Heart Stops Beating is a good up tempo song as well. If you purchase the album over at iTunes they include a bonus song which is just an acoustic very of "Baby, Come On". Pick this one up.

I think that Plus 44 is kind of picking up where Blink 182 left off. With the last few albums of Blink they showed a sense of maturity, and I think that sense of maturity has carried over with Mark and Travis. Some of the songs are a completely different instance than any individual Blink song, but you can just hear the Blink in some of them. I like the direction that Plus 44 seems to be going and the only thing I wish would be different about this album is add Carol back in. That'd give the band more of a vocal "edge," but oh well, Mark's voice is still pretty good. Admittedly it's not as good as Tom's voice, but it still has a certain desirable feature I don't know how to describe.

I would recommend any fan of Blink 182 or Boxcar Racer to buy this album. The song "Little Death" resembles some of Blink's slower songs, the song "Lycanthrope" resembles some of Blink's faster songs, and the song "No It Isn't" is something completely different. Actually No It Isn't is moreso emo than anything else, and normally I don't like emo, but this song catches my interest. The lyrics are amazing, the tempo is amazing, and the only thing that would have made the song better, again, is Carol's voice. (Actually, she used to have a major backup role in the end of the song but when she left the band her voice pretty much faded away from the song.)

Good album altogether, I'll be eagerly waiting for their next production.

Being a HUGE Blink-182 fan, it was sad to seem them breakup. However, after the release of this HIGHLY anticipated album, I am happy they did. (+44) is exceeded my expecations by a lot. Unlike Angels & Airwaves, (+44) chose to evolve the familar Blink sound and it works well. Mark wrote the best songs of his career, not to mention, it's good to here him on every song and not have to cringe listening to a song with vocals from Tom. The whole album is perfect, and I mean perfect. I listen to this album non stop. I love all the songs, but if I had to pick three favorites I'd probably go with "When Your Heart Stops Beating," "Little Death" and "Lycanthrope." As much of a Blink fan I am, I am happy with the results of +44. Mark and Travis, you guys did an amazing job with this album. If you don't have it, BUY IT! IT IS WORTH IT!

First things first...DO NOT compare +44 with Angels & Airwaves. DO NOT listen to either album hoping that it will sound like Blink 182. There may be "pockets" of similar rifts and tempos that may remind you of Mark, Tom, & Travis' former band but, in the end, each album is unique and stands up on it's own two feet.

With that being said, let's get down to my review of +44. For me, this was one of those albums that the more I listened to it, the more it rewarded me. Being a HUGE Travis Barker fan, my first spin through the album was soley to listen to his amazing talent. He cranks out phenomenal bang-on-your-steering-wheel beats. His transition between the slower, soft beats to the harder, edgier ones are seamless. My second time through I was more focused on Mark. Although he may not be the best vocalist in the world, he makes up for it with his lyrics. Some of them catchy, many of them moving. I'm very tempted to say that this CD could be a "break up" album for someone. Alot of the lyrics are pretty powerful and moving as sung on such ballads as "Lillian", "Weatherman", and even "No, it isn't" which seems to be a parting shot at their former bandmate Tom Delonge: [Please understand/This isn't just goodbye/This is I can't stand you.]-[I listen to you talk but, talk is cheap/And my mouth is filled with blood from trying not to speak].

I think what impressed me the most about this album is the variety of songs that are performed. They didn't try to come out and rip hard rock on every song. They incorporate the piano beautifully between, and sometimes with, the guitar riffs on such tracks as "Little Death" and my personal favorite: "Weatherman". Ivory keys are also present on the song "Make You Smile" (which features the vocals of Carol Heller). That song doesn't seem like it belongs on the album but, it ends up fitting in perfectly with the tone of the rest of the CD.

Although I'm completely distraught that I will never again be able to attend another Blink 182 concert, I AM thankful for now having TWICE as much GREAT music to enjoy as before. What +44 has done on their debut album is not groundbreaking by any means. Mark and Travis didn't have to "hype up" their album as pretensiously as Tom did with A&A. Plus-44 lets their music speak for themselves. In my opinion, both albums are just great musicians playing great music.

Isn't that really all we want?

A step up from Blink 182's self titled, and a true progress in that genre. The melodies stike as many endearing chords as Blink 182 produced in its whole life. It's a completely different direction than We Don't Need to Whisper, but it's indeed almost as good, just as the consensus seems to acknowledge. If you are like me and immensely enjoy Mark's voice in Blink (particularly on songs like Adam's Song, Feeling This, and Go), you'll do yourself a favor in listening to this record.