Betrayal and break ups – countless bands have covered the topic before, Blink have done it with wisecracks and piss takes, but Tom DeLonge’s take on the topic with Angels and Airwaves is the other end of that spectrum. Following up their debut single ‘The Adventure’, “It Hurts”is an interesting choice for second single.
Instead of going for one of the harder, cinematic tracks, they’ve chosen one which really puts distance between DeLonge and his Blink days – with a track that examines the feeling of betrayal in a break up.
There’s no irony in the title, no jokes, no smiles, he’s cutting himself wide open on the page, lyrics are emotive and bittersweet, full of that self knowledge we’ve all felt at some point. “You’ve dug yourself into a liar’s hole. You made a little spark to live inside. It’s now a fucking fire out of control…”
Shimmering effects and a swathe of electronica keep the track pushing forward; the mix has a swooping broad sound, an epic quality that resonates throughout the album.
Repeated lyrics engrain themselves into your head ‘Your best friend is not your girlfriend‘, the tearing guitars tumble and fall – “It Hurts’ adds another string to DeLonge’s bow, showing that the goofy punk pop guy has matured into a very different animal indeed. Released on Monday 24th July.
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