Blink 182's new self-titled effort is fittingly the band's best and most mature work to date. I say fittingly, because as this thing they helped invent called Emo is fast becoming mainstream-o, it's good to be able to report that they've taken some liberties with Formula 182 and these experiments have resulted in an album that raises the bar for the legions of Blink-a-like bands. With Emo finding itself in the midst of 15 minutes of fame, had Blink made a mediocre record I would have considered it a clear signal that Emo would soon go the way of Boy Bands.

On this astonishingly strong record Delonge and Hoppus have served official notice that their adolescent days are numbered. With deft confidence and unexpected facility, Blink has proven they can craft dark, emotionally intense music, that stands on the shoulders of their previous work, without denouncing the speedy, stop/start pop punk powerchord password that put them on top of their own game.

Lyrically they still come at you with the same unblinking, straightforward approach as always--they haven't added any lyrical pretense that would undermine their progress as crafters of far more interesting music. The honesty they once used to address their romantic misadventures and delinquent interests, is now being aimed beyond such superficialities, into the naked truths that these behaviors have been hiding.

Even bands like Thursday and Brand New, who also made career-defining records are going to want to rethink their next move.