Angels And Airwaves - I-Empire (2007)

Released only two years after Blink-182 announced its indefinite hiatus, the second album by singer-guitarist Tom DeLonge's other band, Angels & Airwaves, makes it feel like a lifetime. There's not a single poop joke or bubblegum punk anthem to be found among the grand themes of I-Empire, an album that finds the shrill frontman grappling with politics, paranoia, and the spiritual world. Unlike the contributions to his former group's last self-titled release, however, DeLonge has finally realized that getting mature doesn't mean getting boring. For all its cathartic lyrics, I-Empire is actually packed with dazzling, fast-moving songs, like "Everything's Magic" and "Sirens," that bring together U2's widescreen guitar flights with tuneful, straightforward punk melodies. This could very well be his best work yet.--Aidin Vaziri