This came out in 2002 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
If you’re sick and tired of the sophomoric antics of peurile pop-punks Blink-182, well, just imagine how fed up they must be.
Then again, you don’t have to. Blink singer-guitarist Tom Delonge and drummer Travis Barker apparently were so in need of a change they started Box Car Racer, a darker and more mature side project designed to re-connect them with their inner punks — and perhaps with some much-needed credibility. The powerhouse guitar riffs, poignant lyrics and passionate emo-tinged vocals of cuts like I Feel So, All Systems Go and The End With You achieve the former. A cameo vocal and some lyrical input from Rancid’s Tim Armstrong, along with the crash-back tomfoolery of My First Punk Song, pull off the latter. Meanwhile, the moodier, midempo loveliness of acoustic-driven ballads like Letters to God and There Is establish that Box Car Racer are no laughing matter. Coming from these guys, it’s enough to make you blink in disbelief.
