Just minutes after Fall Out Boy released their incredibly hyped single “Young and Menace,” Mark Hoppus decided to steal some of the spotlight by releasing “6/8,” a track from Blink-182’s California deluxe edition, out May 19. While the jury is still out on FOB’s song, you don’t need long to realize that “6/8” is a hit.

In fact, it’s almost as if Blink chose now to release it because they knew FOB was going to be disappointing a lot of fans who were used to their pop-punk sound. Mark may as well have tweeted, “the fob song was my fault and I’m sorry. Here’s a song to fill your punk void.”

With three tracks out already for the deluxe album (four if you count 36 second long “Can’t Get You More Pregnant”), Blink fans are left impatiently waiting for the rest of the 11 new songs coming with the release. In fact, I’m more excited for this than FOB’s Mania, hitting shelves Sept. 15. If you would have told me that yesterday, I wouldn’t have believed you. But this is not a review of FOB.

Blink tweeted that the song was the strangest they’d ever recorded: “It’s in 6/8 time. It’s aggressive & one of our favorites from the deluxe because of it.”

It’s true – “6/8” is far heavier than anything off of California in terms of sound, and lyrically, it’s up there with “Misery” and “San Diego.” Mark sings in the chorus, “Learn to swim in rushing rivers/breaking on the shore/Make your peace with broken streets/your face turned towards the storm.”

By far my favorite thing about this track is its use of close harmonies, starting at the 0:40 mark. It gives the song a full sound and drives the message home. Without this, “6/8” wouldn’t get a perfect review, yet here I am –

10/10

Featured image courtesy of a screengrab from Blink-182’s “6/8” lyric video.