#also harmlessness has one of my favorite album covers of all time along with whenever if ever

[godsofsummer]

Howdy :) i just wanted to say how nice your art is! it reminds me of the song "Cant live there forever" by The World Is A Beautiful Place and I am Not Afraid To Die. I always love seeing your art. its helped me through lots of artblock. Have a good rest of your day, hope you get this ask.

love love love that song, twiabp is such a good band, they've definitely had an influence on me/my art !! thanks for the ask, i hope you have a good day as well :)

[knifehecker]

undertale day [long post]

it’s the 15th!! happy 4th birthday undertale!!! normally i try to do a little art or something but this year i decided to do something a little different. there’s a lot of content that’s become core tenets of my experience with the fandom -- changed the way i thought about the characters, how i engage with the fandom, opened my eyes to new ways of writing -- and i thought it’d be neat to compile some of those into one post to share with other people. so without further ado!!!

40-minute Deltarune Piano Medley - FaceImplosion [MUSIC]

ok, i know this is deltarune and not undertale, but this medley incorporates songs from both games so i’m gonna say it counts. and honestly, i could say a LOT about this piece!! i’ve watched and listened to a lot of ut/dr medleys, and this has to be the most lovingly crafted of its type that i’ve ever seen. Ever. a lot of care has been put into the order and combination of the songs (some funny, some sad, some mindblowing, ALL amazing) and the art is so good that every time i listen i find myself watching along. there’s a lot of easter eggs, especially for the attentive listener/watcher, and this medley deserves far more than the 6k views it’s gotten so far.

Undertale Album Project - Various Artists [MUSIC]

Songs From Mt Ebott is a collaborative album project that contains dozens of tracks from a score of different artists. i have a lot of favorite tracks from this album, not to mention the individual track art created for each, and if you’ve never heard of this project before, i really recommend giving it a listen! (FaceImplosion also did a piano track for this album, by the way, which i’m linking separately because it’s one of my aforementioned favorites.)

Chara - tigerblossom [MUSIC]

im not gonna lie. this was my favorite piece of fan music for a long time. it’s a medley mashing a few different songs together, short and sweet, but it comes together in such an incredibly heartfelt way at the end that whenever i end up listening to it i find myself wishing the track was about five minutes longer. they also have an underfell version of your best friend that i recommend giving a listen!

Photographs - FuriousPoplar [FIC]

in terms of “post-paci everyone lives au”s, there’s been a lot of ground covered by a lot of different people, and after a while the concept feels almost a bit...same-y? but this fic covers a sorely-needed conversation between an alive chara and asriel in a way that i’ve never seen approached by anyone else before. it’s cathartic, it’s extremely well written, and it doesn’t shy away from the ugly sides of trauma and recovery, which is so greatly appreciated. it also hit me...REALLY hard, which i think is a testament to how amazing this piece is.

Turn Back - foxsgloves [FIC]

i read this one pretty early on in my time in this fandom, and it’s continued to influence me long after. the premise: frisk keeps loading over the brief time asriel has his body in the epilogue, and simply spends time with him as they both prepare to move on towards the end. it’s sad. it’s cute. it’s amazing. it’s something i go back to reread sometimes late at night when i want to reread something friendly and familiar and a little sad. and its been one of my favorites ever since i read it.

You Wear Your Grief Like a Badge - Draikinator [FIC SERIES]

how do you even TALK about ywyglb? do i talk about nate’s impeccable voice in their writing? how true to character they are with the kids? how they set the scene of a post-pacifist world still shaking with the echoes of the past? the series starts with flowey taking frisk’s soul captive while chara and sans form an uneasy alliance in order to get them back, and then spirals into a tense, sweet, funny, awful, heartbreaking experience that reshaped how i viewed the boundaries of my own writing. draikinator’s writing has been and continues to be a huge inspiration to me, and i heartily recommend giving any of their stuff a try.

A Numbered List of Things That Aren't as Badass as They Sound (ex. Monsters, Suicide, Burning in Hell) - rosyy [FIC]

a brief glimpse into chara and asriel just before It Happens, While It Happens, When It Happens. the prose here is the sort of flowery delirious feverdream you’d expect from a kid dying of buttercup poisoning, and i love it to bits. i also want to mention a dr who crossover by the same author, because it has kris as the doctor and frisk as the stray they adopt, and its also the perfect antidote to the angst the first fic provides.

Risen Up (or, Of Fallen Children and Mountain Kin) - paradoxpangolin [FIC]

oh jeezums, how do i even start with this one? post-paci, frisk comes to the conclusion that the best way to ease the tensions between human and monsterkind is to put on a musical about their time in the underground!!!!.....except this leads to its own host of complications, and things get a bit Messy. this fic hasn’t updated in a bit, but it contains so much in its 140k of already published writing that i feel the need to urge you to read it anyway. i’m really partial to autistic frisks, and this fic has what’s got to be my favorite portrayal of that in ... probably the entire fandom? honestly, most (if not all) of the characters in this fic are autist, and it’s just. very good. i love.

you’re like a mirror, reflecting me - batterytriplicate [FIC]

a daemon au exploring what frisk and chara’s journeys might have been like with the extra distinction between monster dust and daemon dust. i completely forgot about this fic until i was trawling through my ao3 history for this post, and i’m really really glad i found it again. i think i was in the middle of trying to figure out this exact au when i first found this fic, and it did everything i was thinking of (and more) so much better that i felt more than content leaving it at that. so if you like his dark materials and want to see a fantastic little daemon au, give this a shot!

soulless-pacifist - vsemily [ASK BLOG]

soulless-pacifist..... if you’ve never heard of this askblog, you’re in for a treat. i wasn’t with it from the very beginning, but i started reading towards the  middle of its main story arc and stuck with it to the end, and suffice it to say, it has to be my favorite fandom askblog to date, purely for how well its written, how well its drawn, and how it’s one of the....only askblogs i’ve ever seen come not only to a FULL conclusion, but to a satisfying one! the mun also worked with a programmer to create a fangame for its final arc, which is so above and beyond that im still kind of in disbelief. in short: this askblog followed frisk and their passenger after the events of a soulless pacifist route, and continues on with them as they grow together and find their place with a whole host of twist and turns in store.                also, memes.

Shine your light with me, chase all the dark away - FancifulRivers [FIC]

this au follows frisk and chara after the events of the game. unlike most post-paci runs, though, chara has their own body back, while they and frisk are hiding back in mt ebott after the monsters have left to avoid the complications of being runaways and also.... incredible guilt and trauma. things don’t really work out like that, though, and i really recommend this read. fancifulrivers has also been an incredibly prolific writer who’s uploaded a lot of really good ut fics, so this is a great starting point to jump off of for their other stuff!

repercussions - proximally [FIC]

this fic... i think this one fic is the one that’s impacted me the most during my early days of this fandom. it’s short, and sad, and is a twist on the soulless pacifist ending that i was left thinking about literally for months after i first read it. instead of saying any more and risking spoiling it, i’ll just leave the author’s desc:  “You made a mistake, and you pay for it with your life. “

The Great Boondoggle - Masu_Trout [FIC]

the premise of this fic is pretty simple. post paci, frisk is walking home. they come across a Bad Guy. hijinks ensue. but what sets apart this fic from others for me is the way frisk is written here. when this fic was published in early 2016, most frisks i came across were the...sweet harmless woobies that were pretty typical from the fandom. this is one of the first frisks i came across that was kind of mean, and a little cold, and had very obviously had a long upward climb to being the sort of person who chose mercy instead of fight. this portrayal is a lot more common nowadays, which i’m super grateful for, but since this is one of the first fics i came across that really nailed this portrayal, i felt i should leave this here. i also recommend their pokemon/ut au, which is toriel and frisk centric and i also love to bits.

and....well, i was gonna say “that’s it”, but i honestly had to cut quite a few things from this list to keep it from stretching the dash too much. there’s been a lot of incredible content created by this fandom over the years, and this is by no means a comprehensive list of my favorites. but these are some of the ones that impacted me in a really special way, and if you were kind enough to check them out and maybe even liked them, please consider leaving a kind comment for the creator! if you’re the author of one of these pieces reading this right now: thank you so much! im looking forward to finding even more favorites in this year and the next.

[chromecutie]

Not A Ghost - part 19

A/N - Multi-part fic. Colossus x OC where OC has come home after being wrongfully imprisoned in the Icebox. Warnings for whole fic - references and flashbacks to harsh prison environment, including various types of abuse. Takes place shortly after events in Deadpool 2. Whole thing will end up on my AO3 eventually.

Taglist: @emma-frxst  @ra-ra-rasputiin  @holamor ​  @empressme-bitch  @marvel-is-perfection  @hazilyimagine ​ @marvelhead17 @rovvboat @angstybadboytrash ​ @whitewitchdown ​ @master-sass-blast ​ @mori-fandom @mooleche @dandyqueen . Wanna be added or removed? Holla at me.

-------------------------------------

In Rhonda and Piotr’s shared bathroom, Yukio spread her dye supplies across the countertop. She kept a lot of pink on hand for her own coloring needs, but also had small amounts of almost every other bold color imaginable. Rhonda sat on a little stool, tense and seething. That boy Russell had caught her off guard, calling her by her prison moniker as if it was some harmless nickname. It turned her stomach to be called Guestbook in front of her family.

Staying upbeat, Yukio said with a big smile, “I keep asking Ellie when we’ll get more girl time with you, so this is really exciting!” Picking up each of her colors to consider them, she continued, “It’s so sad you’ve been spending so much time by yourself -- I think you’ll feel better spending more time around us.”

“Yeah,” Rhonda said distantly.

Turning to her girlfriend, Yukio asked, “Bunny, will you go get the Bluetooth speaker? Let’s have some music while we do this!”

Ellie hesitated. Yukio only called her Bunny in private. She supposed it was okay to count Rhonda as close enough to “in private,” since it seemed to barely register to her at all. “Yeah, Sugar Bean. Be right back.” As Ellie was walking out, Yukio arranged the dye colors according to her decisions.

“I’ve only known you from pictures,” Yukio said, “and every single one I’ve seen, you have some bright hair color. I think that’s what you’re missing here.” Digging in her pouch of tools, she took out a comb and some scissors. “We gotta do some cleanup first, though.” 

Rhonda frowned slightly, “You know how to cut hair?”

Yukio took in a big breath and pursed her lips before answering, “With all due respect, Mrs. Rasputin, veteran X-Men, I can’t do any worse than this,” she fluffed Rhonda’s hair. It was chopped in uneven chunks. The shortest pieces fell about the right length for a bob, if it was possible to do a bob on one third of her head. The longest sections fell to the middle of her back, but the ends were so damaged it seemed like it would be a better mercy to just shave her whole head and start over.

The reality check stung, but Rhonda couldn’t get mad at Yukio for being right. “All right,” she shrugged. “Have at it.”

“You should take off your hoodie so we don’t get hair all over it.”

Rhonda hesitated.

“If you don’t, it will be super itchy until you wash it, like at least twice,” Yukio insisted, with a pointed look.

With a sigh, Rhonda pulled her hoodie over her head and laid it on the counter. She hated having her prison tattoos visible, and tried not to squirm for how uncomfortable she was.

Ellie returned with the speaker and paired Yukio’s phone. After a few taps, some music started playing--

My lover’s got humor--

Yukio’s eyes shot wide and she beamed, “YES!” She tapped Rhonda on the shoulder, “You’re in for the real treat now, listen!” Ellie smirked and leaned against the wall, watching and scrolling on her phone.

As Yukio snipped and combed Rhonda’s hair, she hummed along to Hozier’s “Take Me to Church.” It was light and atmospheric, while also rich and deep like it was made from all the oldest forces on Earth. Rhonda’s troubled expression softened as she listened. When the song was over, she held up her hand, “Hey...can I hear that again?”

Yukio happily wiggled her shoulders, “We can put it on loop until you want something else.”

Ellie was already tapping the loop buttons as her girlfriend said it. “Told you,” she said simply.

Ellie was right -- Hozier was objectively good. As Rhonda listened, she felt her tension ease in places she hadn’t realized she had been carrying it (or how long she’d been carrying it). The sound made her want to stand in an open field between some mountains and cry...or laugh, or shriek, she really wasn’t sure. The vocals and backup chorus were full of raw emotion and she felt her chest opening up, as if she had forgotten how to truly breathe and this music reminded her.

On one loop of the song, Yukio belted at the top of her lungs, as if the song was made from her own soul. Even Ellie smiled and hummed along, no longer able to hide that she liked it too. 

Clippings of hair ghosted over Rhonda’s shoulders and arms, tickling and itching. She tried not to glance in the mirror, but finally looked up and saw Yukio was almost done cutting a decent shape that didn’t quite touch her shoulders. There were even some shorter pieces in front that she had to admit looked good with her jaw line.

“Are you good with this one?” Yukio asked after the ninth loop of “Take Me to Church” ended. “There’s others on this album you’ll love too.”

With a sheepish little grin, Rhonda nodded. She gestured loosely at her hair. “This is looking a lot better already, thank you.”

Confident and playful, Yukio replied, “I’m just getting started.”

Rhonda eyed the different colors Yukio had arranged on the counter. “Wait, you’re gonna mix these? How?”

Ellie piped up, “It’s better to just shut up and trust her. I’ve never seen a color job from her that wasn’t amazing.”

Fixing her head straight forward, Rhonda tried not to watch what Yukio was doing in the mirror. She felt Yukio’s fingers as she gently ran them through her hair, testing the texture and the way it fell. Yukio slipped on some gloves, and humming along to Hozier, got to work covering Rhonda’s mousey grey-brown hair with something much more vibrant.

--

The women laughed and chatted as they waited for the dye to take, and when Rhonda rinsed it all out, Yukio lent her a blow dryer and some hairspray so she could style it how she wanted. When Rhonda was done, she had volume to make an 80s rockstar jealous -- and now with color an 80s rockstar could only dream of. Near the roots, her hair was a muted teal, melting to bright emerald green, and finally ending in electric yellow. 

“No way,” Ellie breathed, smiling wider than Yukio had ever seen her. “You look so badass!” Slipping an arm around her girlfriend, she added, “You did great, Sugar Bean.”

Rhonda’s lips quirked -- she supposed that with the bright hair, steri-strips covering the nicks on her face, and visible tattoos (including the tear drops) she did look like a young person’s idea of badass. As amazing as it felt to have color in her hair again, Rhonda’s smile faltered looking at the Xs on her arm in the mirror.

“They bother you bad, huh?” Ellie asked. She had her guesses for what they might mean, but for how angry and hurt Rhonda looked whenever someone brought them up, Ellie was afraid to ask anything specific.

Rhonda reflexively ran her left hand up her arm, like she could hide or wipe off the ink with the gesture. “Oh...I mean--”

“Would you get laser tattoo removal?” Yukio asked, guileless.

“Huh,” Rhonda thought a moment, “Doesn’t the laser just make the shape of the tattoo look like a scar?”

Yukio gave an exaggerated shrug. Ellie brushed it off, “Probably hurts more than it’s worth anyway.” She stood beside Rhonda in the mirror, fixing her with a hard stare. “Besides, I think you shouldn’t hide them. Nobody else here tries to hide their scales, or fur, or blue skin. Why hide this?”

“It’s…” Rhonda debated whether she should explain, and realized even if she should, she couldn’t do it. “This is different. It means something different.”

Stubborn, Ellie pressed, “But you’re the only one who knows what it means, right? So fuck what anyone else thinks.”

Russell knew. Wade knew. If Wade knew, Cable might also know. As well as any other telepath. Plus whoever they felt like telling. Rhonda’s stomach turned. “It’s not just me,” she shook her head.

To keep Ellie from poking further, Yukio cut in, “Well, if you feel like you need to cover them up, it’s the middle of summer. It’s too hot to wear hoodies and cardigans all the time.” She turned to her girlfriend, giving her the most angelic puppy eyes, “Hey Bunny? Can you go get something for me?” Yukio whispered in Ellie’s ear and in another minute, Ellie headed out and down the hall again.

Rhonda fluffed her hair and eyed Yukio in the mirror. “You really got her wrapped around your finger, huh?”

Yukio tried to contain her smile, and blushed a little anyway, “Maybe a little. She likes everyone to think she’s so edgy, but I know better.”

Nodding, Rhonda added, “She acts so tough until you get to know her and realize she’s a sweetheart, yeah.” She had learned that herself with the rough and tumble child Ellie had been.

Yukio chewed her lip like she wanted to say something, then suddenly blurted, “You were my favorite X-Men for a long time. I really wanted to be like you...Voltage.”

She hadn’t been called by her codename in ages, and it stirred up a lot of old feelings. And while she wasn’t Ororo or Scott or Hank (or Piotr), it was funny and strange for someone to tell Rhonda she was their favorite. “Why?”

Yukio flicked an electric spark off her fingers, “You were like me. And you had fun hair. And you always did cool poses in all your photos.” She laughed, “Cool poses were a must when I was nine.”

“You had good taste,” Rhonda smirked.

Ellie was huffing when she came back to Rhonda’s room. “I wasn’t sure which one you were talking about,” she said to Yukio with an edge of annoyance, “I had to hold them all up to the light one by one to check.” She handed off a pair of green tights.

Yukio held them out to Rhonda, “These were more opaque than I wanted, but maybe you can wear one leg as a sleeve? So you can cover your arm without being too hot.”

With a thoughtful frown, Rhonda nodded, “We can try it.” They looked around the room to see where Piotr kept scissors these days, and they found them in a container of other office supplies under the little table by the window. Yukio quickly snipped one leg off the pair of tights and twirled it at Rhonda like a big ribbon.

Surprisingly, the leg fit fine over Rhonda’s arm. It wasn’t too loose, certainly wasn’t restrictive, and her tattoos were invisible under the green nylon-poly blend. Not much could be done for the Xs that peeked out of the leg at her shoulder, but she was satisfied with the rest. With the foot still intact, there was nowhere for her fingers to come out, and she flopped her hand uselessly at Yukio. “Help,” she said with an exaggerated fake pout.

Yukio laughed and obliged her. Two more quick snips and Rhonda stretched her fingers and thumb through the slits. Rhonda checked the mirror again. 

What she saw was...tolerable. She could live with a small portion of her ink showing if the rest was covered. Her neck felt bare and vulnerable and she wasn’t sure what to do about it, but her new green sleeve went great with the green in her hair. For the first time in years, she mostly recognized her own reflection. Amazing what a little hair dye can do. Relief eased over her and a smile bloomed over her face. “This looks,” she took a big breath, her smile even bigger, “really good.” She turned and held her arms out. “Thank you!” Yukio quickly swooped in for a tight hug and Ellie eased in as well. The three of them were a tangle of arms and giggling when they heard the bedroom door open.

“Sladkaya, are you in here?” they heard Piotr call. “Wade wanted to visit with Russell, and I finally got him to--” he stopped when Rhonda and the girls came into the bedroom from the bathroom. His mouth fell open, and then pulled into a goofy, lopsided grin, like he was seeing his wife for the first time. Slowly, he crossed the room and just barely touched her freshly dyed hair with his fingertips. “You look…” he brushed a yellow-tipped curl, “you look wonderful, my love.”

As if he had forgotten about his former trainee and her girlfriend, he lifted Rhonda by the waist and kissed her, circling one arm around her and burying the other hand in her hair. 

Yukio quietly squealed, barely containing her excitement. Ellie rolled her eyes, but smiled in spite of herself. 

Suddenly remembering himself, Piotr broke the kiss and set down his breathless wife. He cleared his throat, “Ah, Yukio strikes again, I see.”

Rhonda glanced at the younger girls, “It’s the best color I’ve ever had, for sure.”

Piotr stared, still smiling, and practically speechless, having forgotten he wanted to ask Rhonda about Russell.

Picking up the Bluetooth speaker, Rhonda asked Yukio, “Is it okay if I borrow this? Maybe for a couple days?” Hozier still swirled through her head and she needed to get some place where she could see how to dance to his music.

“You can keep it!” she chirped, gently elbowing Ellie, “I’ve been wanting an upgrade anyway.”

Ellie gave a halfhearted eyeroll, hint taken. She took her girlfriend’s hand and they left the room. Yukio stole one last glance over her shoulder and waved at Rhonda.

Rhonda returned the wave and picked up her phone with the speaker. “Um...do you mind?” she looked at her husband apologetically. “I wanna...go play with something. I might be a while.”

“Of course,” he replied wistfully. 

She grabbed his hand and kissed his knuckles, and in another second she was out the door, walking briskly down the hall. 

Alone, Piotr chuckled to himself and shook his head. The color in her hair added so much. It was the most his wife had looked like herself since coming home from the Icebox.

[nooneaskedme-but]

Album Review - California (Deluxe) by blink-182

Alright guys, here’s the deal. I’ll to be skipping the whole pre-review rambling because there’s a lot to cover here. Just know that yes, I am reviewing California for a second time; there’s less hype and a lot less bias this time around, so I feel it’ll be a much more accurate review.

Anyway, let’s get to it! Track by track review of blink-182’s California! (Again!)

1. Cynical - Still to this day, this is easily one of my favorite tracks on California. I think what won me over the most was the aggression in this song. They really shake their ‘just another pop punk band’ image here with the fast paced drumming and the straight to the punch guitars combined with Matt’s shouting in the chorus. It’s a perfect way to start off such a different album and I love every bit of this song from start to finish. - 10/10

2. Bored to Death - Okay, I don’t care what anybody says. Putting aside how absolutely iconic this song is, Bored to Death is definitely one of the better put together tracks on California, and I’m counting both the standard and deluxe tracks. I mean yeah, the lyrics still don’t make a lot sense to me, but compared to the cheap and useless filler I’ve heard on the rest of the album these are relatively harmless. At least these can be open to some sort of interpretation. I really appreciate the darker feel here, and the bridge is easily my favorite of any blink song post-DeLonge. I just wish they would’ve stuck to this caliber with the rest of the album, and I really they would’ve left Matt alone in the chorus, especially live. That being said, this still remains a favorite and probably will even alongside future releases. - 8/10

3. She’s Out of Her Mind - Right off the bat, this was one of my favorites off the album. It still is, but now I think of this song more as a novelty. It’s simple, it’s catchy, but that’s really about it. The lyrics are juvenile and rather cliche, but I’d be lying if I said this song didn’t still excite me whenever I hear it. - 7/10

4. Los Angeles - Initially, I equated this song to garbage, a mainstream pop atrocity that not even Dark Lord Skiba himself could save. But, after a few thorough listens and seeing it live twice, I’m going a bit easier on this track. I mean, it’s still a pretty big thumbs down for me but it has its merits. For starters I can dig the fact that they experimented and deviated from the ‘old blink’ style they tried so hard for. Moreover, something about Mark Hoppus and the bridge of this song gets me every time. - 5/10

5. Sober - I honestly don’t understand why this track gets so much flack (heh, I’m a poet and I didn’t even know it). In my opinion it trumps a good portion of the rest of California by a long shot. It’s rather mellow and laid back, and again not nearly as try-hardy as some of its counterparts on the album. In fact, to me it does a good job of illustrating both the playful, happy-go-lucky and the frustrating, trying times of adolescence. Not to mention, this song got bonus points from me knowing the first verse was basically Matt’s autobiography. - 7/10

6. Built This Pool - I’m just going to say, I find this song way more amusing than I should. - 9/10

7. No Future - This is another track I enjoyed pretty thoroughly and still do despite countless plays. I adore everything about this song, in particular the way Matt makes his place in the chorus with the jolting “NO FUTURE!” and the intense buildup into Matt’s verse (which is to die for, says I) along with the novelty pop punk style it was crafted in (stop-and-go guitars, simple yet fulfilling drum fills, etc.). Speaking of drums, the way Travis closes this song out combined with the matching structure of the ‘na-na’s is nothing short of godlike. No Future will forever be a favorite of mine. - 10/10

8. Home Is Such a Lonely Place - You know, I despised this song when I first heard it; it was way too mopey and pseudo-deep for me to possibly get behind. And, to be honest, not a lot has changed in the way of that opinion. It’s so…mundane. I just, it drags the album down than anything else and it really doesn’t belong. - 4/10 

9. Kings of the Weekend - I can sum this song up in one word and one word only: excitement. Actually, this song is more like excitement with a side of FUCK YEAH!!. Aside from the opening track ‘Cynical’, this track hands down has the best instrumental on the album. The chorus errs more on the side of modern punk rock and it it sounds really well-done. Simple, but very well-done. Also, the opening drum line has to be some of the funkiest shit Travis has done in a blink-182 song. - 10/10

10. Teenage Satellites - *groan*…Ugh, this song nearly makes me sick at this point. It’s so adolescent it hurts. I can appreciate simple songs. I can appreciate youthful reminiscing (to an extent). But this song, this fucking song, this is where I draw the line. It’s a saccharine, adolescent mess of teenage cliches centered around an octave riff Mark strummed off the top of his head one day. I used to think this song was relatively decent but now I can’t help but cringe now whenever I listen to it. - 4/10

11. Left Alone - If I could put aside the cheap lyrics and the fact that this song is basically an Angels and Airwaves rip off, I feel like I’d enjoy it a lot more. I’ll admit, though, I am a sucker for the guitar lined throughout in the verses, and Matt’s vocals are pretty fierce when the chorus hits. - 6/10

12. Rabbit Hole -  Okay, hear me out here. This song gets criticized left and right for its overall simplicity and basic nature. While both of those claims are completely valid, I happen to think that’s what makes this song so endearing. A song like this is meant to be fun, something that’s easy to listen to while you’re fucking around with your friends or whoever else. Not every song has to be so complex or even a lyrical masterpiece. Sometimes, it’s enough for a song to just simply sound pleasant, and that’s definitely accomplished here. It’s energetic, it’s pop punk as fuck, it’s blink-182. - 8/10

13. San Diego - Out of all the songs on the standard release, I feel that this one has the most, for lack of a better word, substance. Never mind the fact that it’s one of the few that doesn’t sound like a poorly made b-side of Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, you can just feel the emotion oozing out of this song and it’s fucking great. In such a flawless and iconic chorus, Matt Skiba takes the lead and really proves what he can do for the band. Hats off to Skiba and another hats off to this amazing song. - 10/10

14. The Only Thing That Matters - I think this song has a cute nature about it, and I think it’s a very accurate clash of both older generation blink-182 and Alkaline Trio (you know, the band Matt Skiba fronted happily before Mark kidnapped him and held him hostage). However, the chorus is way too lacking for me. Like, I can get behind the lovey dovey message but it’s so basic in its presentation that I just can’t get past it. - 6/10

15. California - Give it another year, just one more year, and I guarantee you’ll see this song used in some sort of Disney promo if it hasn’t been already. As a song it isn’t terrible, just rather flat and a little lackluster. I can’t say I hate it, though, even if I do find spending all your time inside while the weather’s perfect a little bit strange (and possibly a little bit manic). Also, the ending’s pretty cool, so there’s that. - 7/10

16. Brohemian Rhapsody - Yeah, I’m still fucking miffed that this song is literally only 15 seconds long. Everything about it’s perfect: the buildup, format, the staggering hammer-ons that Matt somehow flawlessly pulls off despite that being the furthest thing from his style! It’s all there! But no, they wasted a perfectly good instrumental on a tired fucking one-liner that was barely even amusing. Oh well, it still sounded badass and was definitely a fun way to bring the album to an end. -10/10

DISC TWO

1. Parking Lot - Holy shit. This song, holy shit. Now this, this is how you make an entrance to an album. Originally I made mention of Mark’s verse throwing the song off, but after coming back to this song many times I can see that’s what makes this song work. As much as I appreciate the fact Matt upped the punk factor times ten (and that’s a fuck of a lot), I’m glad there’s some variation, that it’s not like that the entire way through. All around, this song is fucking wicked and easily one of the top three of the deluxe tracks. - 9/10

2. Misery - Things slow down quite a bit with this track, but it packs a punch nonetheless. I haven’t found myself coming back to this one as much but that doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s a really solid, really powerful song. I still swear that the way Matt shouts “I don’t need anyone!” in the chorus is what dreams are made out of. It also sounds like “I don’t eat anyone!”, but that’s besides the point. - 7/10

3. Good Old Days This is one song I find especially charming, due mainly to the early 2000s-esque dance chorus and the very eloquent use of synth throughout the entire song. However, the whole ‘I don’t wanna grow up!’ schtick is getting really fucking old. Now, I can understand wanting to feel young and to feel alive, but literally putting “and we’re not growing up” in a song is a tad bit sad to be honest. I fucking adore Mark Hoppus, but when he writes like that I just can’t take him seriously, and it lessens the quality of the song. Other than that, this track is pretty enjoyable and one I see myself coming back to in the future. - 7/10

4. Don’t Mean Anything - Ugh. U g h. Even tying this disaster of a song to blink-182 sullies their name. It’s just so bland and cookie-cutter and lacking any sort of effort or originality that it hurts. The only, and I mean the only points this song gets from me is Matt’s verse because he sings it really fucking well. Outside of that, this song needs to go back to the 2004 pop rock station they clearly ripped it from. - 4/10

5. Hey, I’m Sorry So, some time after the official release of California, this track was released as a Japanese bonus track. It took a few listens to really strike a chord with me, but now I can’t get enough of it. Also, I didn’t think I’d say this for a long time but I love Mark’s lyrical work here; it’s fucking stellar, as a matter of fact. This is another one of those experimental songs, but this one was definitely a success. I really dig the direction they went in with this one. - 9/10

6. Last Train Home - I was really glad to see they continued along that same vein of experimentation as heard in the previous track ‘Hey, I’m Sorry’. Initially, I cast this song off, thinking it wouldn’t pick up. But, it does. The song progresses slowly, and in a way that’s incredibly subtle. It’s very worth it if you can listen all the way through to the end. - 10/10

7. Wildfire - While I’m not exactly sure about Mark’s singing abilities here (in the chorus particularly), that doesn’t really concern me in this song, at least not as much as the fucking Xanax reference. Personally, I think this song is way too much fun to hate, and I know I am very much in the minority with that opinion. I mean, the classic blink-style riffs are all there alongside some gnarly Alkaline Trio influence, and it just has a very youthful aesthetic overall which I adore. I also admire how the song matures and progresses, starting off with Mark’s usual adolescent view of things and venturing into darker, more mature themes as Matt takes over. It gives the song another dimension, which I feel the rest of the album severely lacks. - 8/10

8. 6/8 - I’d argue that this is the absolute heaviest song blink-182′s released in the history of their career. Sure, the Self Titled album had a lot of experimentation and some heavier tracks, but there was nothing quite like this. This song’s a bit dreary, and it’s fucking rad. I won’t attack the fact that they named the it after the time signature for the drums, because honestly that’s just nitpicking (and I am not about that life…). But, I will claim that this would’ve been astronomically better had it been fronted by Matt. He has just the voice and singing capabilities to make this song as riveting and intense as it needs to be. Nonetheless, it’s still a badass track and a definite thumbs up from me. - 8/10

9. Long Lost Feeling - I feel like this song is more buildup than anything. It’s soothing, but it takes way too long to get to anything worth while. Mark also manages to make the first half as boring as he possibly can, so there’s that. If you can stay awake until you get to the second half of the song, it’s actually really pretty sounding and quite pleasant. You just have to get there. - 6/10

10.  Bottom of the Ocean - No. Nope. N o p e. Fuck this song. At this point there’s not a hint of soul to be found, not a fucking ounce of integrity. Usually I say every song has its merits, but nope. I hate to be that ‘that guy’, but they sold out with this song, point blank. I am so glad this abomination never touched the original release. As stated above, fuck this song. - 1/10

11. Can’t Get You More Pregnant - I’ve already discussed this song far too much for a joke track, so I’m just going to laugh at the fact that a scientist actually proved this idea wrong, stating you actually can get a girl ‘more’ pregnant. Ha ha ha. - 8/10

12. Bored to Death (Acoustic) - Originally, I was under the impression that this would be a brand new studio recording. But, instead, it’s audio ripped from a live recording and mastered in the studio. Was a I bit let down by that in the beginning? Maybe a tad. But, with the audience so haughtily cheering in the background and Matt’s lyric change to “Mark’s head”, I actually prefer this to a brand new stand alone recording. In doing it this way, they laid a lot heart on it and made it a perfect closer to the album. Not to mention, Mark and Matt sound fucking top notch on this track. Simply put, this was a beautiful addition and I loved it much more than I thought I would going in. - 10/10

*phew*

All-in-all, I was a bit let down by the rest of the deluxe tracks. To be fair, that’s probably mainly due to the fact that the one’s released hyped me up so much and shot my hopes sky high. Actually, no. They just sucked. But, that’s okay. There are a number of solid songs on the deluxe release, and I’ve gained a much stronger appreciation for the original release of California after being introduced to these songs. So, there is a silver lining here.

Overall Rating - 6/10

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