“Make You Smile” – +44
The greatest strength of Blink-182 has always been the contrast between Mark and Tom. Mark keeps the group grounded in their punk-pop roots, Tom pushed the band to experiment with different sounds. At a more basic level, their voices meshed perfectly. See “Feeling This” or “I Miss You” if you have any doubts about that claim.
Unfortunately, their differences forced the band to go on “indefinite hiatus” for a number of years. During this time Mark and Travis formed +44. Their band only put out one album before Blink-182 ended its hiatus, but “When Your Heart Stops Beating” is a classic in my mind. It’s Blink without the grandiosity that Tom tried so hard to bring to Blink. It’s more of a straight forward rock album (with a slight electronic vibe).
One of the best tracks is “Make You Smile.” This time, Mark’s voice meshes with Carol Heller. It’s a call and response song, it’s incredibly simple, but the two voices blend together so well. Instead of the harshness of Tom’s voice complimenting Mark’s deeper tones, it’s Heller’s softer, lighter voice that contrasts nicely. It’s a different side to Mark that we don’t see often, but it’s so damn good that I kinda wish Mark and Travis would get +44 back together for a second record. – Sean
