Ah, Blink-182. I have always had a soft spot for this band, despite how juvenile and snotty they can come off at times. There is just something about early 2000s skate/pop punk, something so timeless and charming about it. This song, however, has barely any of that charm. While Blink-182’s early work had character and often had a story to tell, this song feels manufactured despite trying to tell a rich story. I can’t help but imagine members such as Hoppus and Skiba sitting around a table, brainstorming ideas on how to seem “down” with the self-proclaimed pop-punk and emo kids of today. However, I do quite enjoy the melody of the chorus and a few of the lyrics; I like the line “I was bored to death, so I started a band” as it’s not only a reference to a song from Blink’s 2016 release California, but I just enjoy when songs reference a band’s origin story in general. Additionally, the line “I’ve been lost since 1999” is one that can analyzed further. While Blink were enjoying a massive amount of success from their album Enema of the State and it’s multiple singles from that year, Skiba’s band Alkaline Trio was new to the music scene, and had nowhere near as much success as Blink did at that time. To me, this song resembles Green Day’s Too Dumb to Die, a cut from their 2016 comeback of sorts, Revolution Radio. In Too Dumb, Billie Joe Armstrong sings about rebellion and confusion in his youth, in addition to specifics such as his father going on strike. I believe that Too Dumb is what Blame It On My Youth tries to be, but fails in a few ways. While Blink’s song contains some specifics, it is not detailed enough to seem completely genuine. It’s easy to write a song about rebellion, but it’s difficult to write one that connects with listeners beyond a surface level. Adding details doesn’t alienate your audience. In my opinion, it only strengthens the bond between artist and fan. Additionally, the musical structure of the cut is just straight up boring. It’s hard to talk about this song without comparing it to Blink’s past works, as they’re much more interesting and memorable. Songs such as Dammit, All the Small Things, The Rock Show, and even their more introspective cuts such as Always, Down, I Miss You, and my personal favorite Going Away to College pack much more of a punch than Blame It On My Youth ever could in any imaginable setting. A year or so ago I heard Blink’s Bored to Death playing in a Stop & Shop. I think that describes the band’s newer work very well; mindless, easy-listening music that is meant to be played in grocery and department stores. The band attempts to make it seem as if they’re defying the status quo, but they’re actually doing the exact opposite. Where’s the heart?

Rating: 4/10