To the Stars... Demos, Odds and Ends

To the Stars... Demos, Odds and Ends
Studio album by Tom DeLonge
Released April 21, 2015 (2015-04-21)
Genre Pop punk,[1] alternative rock, acoustic
Length 25:51
Label To the Stars
Producer Tom DeLonge & Aaron Rubin
Singles from To The Stars
  1. "New World"
    Released: March 10, 2015
  2. "Circle Jerk Pit"
    Released: April 7, 2015

To the Stars... Demos, Odds and Ends (often shortened to To the Stars) is the debut solo album by Tom DeLonge. It was released on April 21, 2015 (following his departure from Blink-182 in January 2015) through DeLonge's multimedia company also titled To the Stars.[2] The album To the Stars is said to contain tracks from DeLonge's "personal stash",[2] which include songs originally intended to be recorded with Blink-182,[3][4][5][6] as well as tracks originally meant for Angels and Airwaves.[7] The eight-song album was released on vinyl, CD and digital formats.[8]

Background

A few weeks after DeLonge's announced departure from the pop punk band Blink-182, through social media he expressed his interest in releasing demos he wrote for a potential Blink-182 album.[9][10] The album To the Stars was formally announced on February 28, 2015,[11] and DeLonge later elaborated that the album was one of four albums he would be releasing in 2015; he intended to release two solo albums and two Angels & Airwaves albums. But by the end of the year only the solo album had been released. [12]

Promotion

Leading up to the album's release, DeLonge released several songs for online streaming with accompanying music or lyric videos. He first released an online stream for the track "New World" on March 10, 2015.[13] A lyric video for the track "The Invisible Parade" was released on March 24, and the song itself may have been inspired by DeLonge's brother who served in Iraq as a Naval lieutenant.[14] On April 7, an online stream for the track "Circle-Jerk-Pit" was released,[15] and a few weeks later a music video for the track was released on April 21.[16]

The official music video for "New World" was released on April 2, 2015.[17] It was directed by Mark Eaton and consists of time-lapsed scenes of DeLonge destroying various instruments, a laptop and sound equipment at his studio Jupiter Sound in San Diego, using a Squier Stratocaster guitar and a sledgehammer. These scenes are interspersed with others of DeLonge wandering the streets of San Diego, holding the same destroyed Squire Stratocaster held together with duct tape. NME described the video as being "symbolic"[17] and Billboard said that it is "hard not to think of this as an eff you to his old band, as he packs up his stratocaster and hits the streets."[18]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic49/100[19]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[20]
Rolling Stone[21]
Consequence of SoundD[22]
Punknews.org[23]

To the Stars has received mixed reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a rating determined by a "weighted average" of reviews from mainstream critics, the album received a score of 49, based on 4 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews."[19]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic considered the album transitional, writing, "To the Stars does feel like a solo album but it also does feel a bit like a warehouse -- a way to clear the decks as he preps for the next great project."[20] Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone felt DeLonge unsuccessful in determining a "clear solo identity," opining,"if this "Suburban King" wants to rise again, he may need some help from his friends."[21] Mike Damante of the Houston Chronicle was passive, commenting, "For the most part, these demos are enjoyable, but it would be sad if they never reached the proper means for their purpose and were recorded for the projects they were intended for in the first place."[24] Kerrang! deemed it "a distinctly mixed bag."[25]

Track listing

  1. "New World" – 3:34
  2. "An Endless Summer" – 4:09
  3. "Suburban Kings" – 4:10
  4. "The Invisible Parade" – 3:29
  5. "Circle-Jerk-Pit" – 1:59
  6. "Landscapes" – 2:14
  7. "Animals" – 3:41
  8. "Golden Showers in the Golden State" – 2:35

Personnel

[26]

Charts

Chart (2015) Peak
position
UK Albums (OCC)[27] 96
US Billboard 200[28] 70
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[29] 9
US Digital Albums (Billboard)[30] 13
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[31] 6
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[32] 11

References

  1. ↑ "To The Stars... Demos, Odds And Ends Review". Ultimate Guitar Archive. Ultimate Guitar Archive. May 6, 2015. Archived from the original on June 4, 2016. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  2. 1 2 Brodsky, Rachel (March 2, 2015). "Tom DeLonge Will Release New Album, 'To the Stars... Demos, Odds and Ends'". Spin. Spin Media. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  3. ↑ Kreps, Daniel (27 May 2015). "Blink-182 Inch Toward 'Friendly Divorce' From Tom DeLonge". Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  4. ↑ Paybe, Chris (March 2, 2015). "Blink-182's Tom DeLonge Announces Solo Album 'To the Stars,' Shares Song Snippets". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  5. ↑ Crane, Matt. "Matt Skiba talks new Blink album, possibly becoming a "permanent member"". AltPress.com. Alternative Press. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  6. ↑ Sharp, Tyler (27 May 2015). "Blink-182 continuing "friendly divorce" from Tom DeLonge, says Mark Hoppus". AltPress.com. Alternative Press. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  7. ↑ Angels and Airwaves. "Angels and Airwaves on Facebook - "Pick up Tom DeLonge's new LP of unreleased demos & decipher which ones were originally recorded for an AVA album! https://itunes.apple.com/…/to-stars...-demos-od…/id979423810"". Facebook.com/AngelsAndAirwaves. Angels and Airwaves. External link in |title= (help)
  8. ↑ DeLonge, Tom. "Tom DeLonge on Twitter - "Limited Edition Art Prints, Shirts and Vinyl from.... Well... Me :) http://shop.tothestarsinc.com/index.php?cPath=34_41"". Twitter.com/TomDeLonge. Tom DeLonge. Retrieved 23 April 2015. External link in |title= (help)
  9. ↑ Sharp, Tyler (February 1, 2015). "Is Tom DeLonge teasing songs that were meant to be for Blink-182?". Alternative Press. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  10. ↑ Crane, Matt (February 19, 2015). "Tom DeLonge will release new Blink-182 demos March 1". Alternative Press. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  11. ↑ Sharp, Tyler (February 28, 2015). "Tom DeLonge to release Blink-182 demos, more on new album, 'To The Stars'". Alternative Press. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  12. ↑ Kreps, Daniel (March 22, 2015). "Tom DeLonge Maps Out Massive 2015 Plans, Details Blink-182 Rift". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Retrieved March 23, 2015.
  13. ↑ Carley, Brennan (March 10, 2015). "Tom DeLonge Lashes Out at Insecurities on Solo Single, 'New World'". Spin. Spin Media. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  14. ↑ Blistein, Jon (March 24, 2015). "Tom DeLonge Goes Acoustic on New Song 'The Invisible Parade'". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  15. ↑ Sharp, Tyler (April 7, 2015). "Tom DeLonge revisits his roots with possible Blink-182 demo, 'Circle-Jerk-Pit'". Alternative Press. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  16. ↑ Sharp, Tyler (April 21, 2015). "Tom DeLonge debuts video for possible Blink-182 demo, 'Circle-Jerk-Pit'". Alternative Press. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
  17. 1 2 NME News Desk (April 2, 2015). "Former Blink-182 member Tom DeLonge shares symbolic video for 'New World'". NME. Time Inc. UK. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  18. ↑ Stutz, Colin (April 2, 2015). "Watch Tom DeLonge Trash The Stage in 'New World' Video". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  19. 1 2 Metacritic. "Reviews for To the Stars: Demos, Odds and Ends by Tom DeLonge". CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
  20. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "To the Stars: Demos, Odds and Ends - Tom DeLonge - Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
  21. 1 2 Spanos, Brittany (May 18, 2015). "Blink-182 dude has trouble finding a clear solo identity". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media LLC. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
  22. ↑ Brennan, Collin (April 14, 2015). "Consequence of Sound Review". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
  23. ↑ "Tom Delonge - Demos, Odds and Ends". Punknews.org. April 21, 2015. Retrieved January 7, 2016. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  24. ↑ Mike Damante (April 20, 2015). "New music roundup: Tom DeLonge, Matt And Kim, Death Cab for Cutie". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  25. ↑ "To the Stars Review". Kerrang!: 52. May 2, 2015.
  26. ↑ To the Stars (liner notes). Tom DeLonge. US: To the Stars. 2015.
  27. ↑ "Tom DeLonge | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  28. ↑ "Tom Delonge – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Tom Delonge. Retrieved April 30, 2015.
  29. ↑ "Tom Delonge – Chart history" Billboard Top Alternative Albums for Tom Delonge. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  30. ↑ "Tom Delonge – Chart history" Billboard Digital Albums for Tom Delonge. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  31. ↑ "Tom Delonge – Chart history" Billboard Independent Albums for Tom Delonge. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  32. ↑ "Tom Delonge – Chart history" Billboard Top Rock Albums for Tom Delonge. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
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