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Tuesday, after wandering around FYE before I realized the CD was at Best Buy, I finally bought Angels & Airwaves sophomore album, I-Empire. When I got home, I popped it in my stereo and sat down in my chair- the album was amazing with a capital AVA.

Call To Arms was the first song. The beginning of the song reminded me somewhat of The Postal Service's Such Great Heights. The song starts with a somber steady beat, before the music kicks and Tom DeLonge's voice begins to spill from the speakers. There's a little black, dark scar, tired divide. This is it can you hear me? And yes, I definitely can. I noticed that this CD is a lot louder than many other CDs I had in my stereo. I'm thinking, but I'm not completely sure, that the band did this on purpose to get their positive, musical message across. DeLonge goes onto sing I'd like to say, that you're my only fear, and when I dream, it slowly disappears, and when I wake, I'm right here by your side, to feel your heart beat in and out of time Awesome opening to the album. It catches your attention and revvs you up for the rest of the CD.

4/5 stars

Next up is the band's first hit off the album, Everything's Magic. Atom Willard and Matt Wachter, the band's drummer and new guy bassist, power the beginning of the song with danceable beats and powerful rifts. It's the most upbeat song on the record, with lyrics such as So hear this please, and watch as your heart speeds up endlessly, and reach for the stars as the sun goes down, each breath that you take has a thunderous sound. Everything, everything's magic... in the empowering chorus. I hear this song quite often on the radio, and of course, it's the song that I'm semi-sick of, but can't help but listen to when I have the album playing.

3/5 stars

Breathe is a very relaxing, lovesick, sticky sweet song. If you're in love, and you feel like shouting it to the world, this is definitely your tune. DeLonge sings the word 'love' 13 times in the course of the song. A blue-black shade of love, sent from above. My hands are tied, two worlds alone, and this I know. Your breath's like wine, and just like clouds, my skin crawls. It's so divine, the sky it glows with fields of light. Did you know, that i love you? Come and lay with me. I love you, and honestly. I love you, you make me feel alive, and i'll love you, until the end of time. The beginning of the song signals that the song would be slow and pretty, with DeLonge's piano playing at the beginning. Something you didn't see with the band's first record, besides the kid piano played at the beginning of Start the Machine.

3/5 stars

The next song is my screenname, the song Love Like Rockets. Not my favorite song, but definitely my favorite song title on the record. I'm going to go out onto a limb here and guess that this song is about going into outerspace. I'll say that this song is about an astronaut leaving his love to journey into the space unknown. I held my head as I left the ground, the belts grew tight as the blast grew loud. A loving wish whispered in my ear, please leave with grace, all the best my dear. It's one of the more upbeat songs, with an acapella ending with DeLonge singng The stars in your eyes light up the skies. With words like fire and sound. Imagine, imagine.

4/5 stars

Sirens feuls what I think AVA's movie is going to be about. The beginning reminded me of TV by blink-182 for a second because of Wachter's bass rift. The first verse of the song tells a short story: There's a weakness, in the window. I place my footprints, in a dark room. There's lonely voices like a scarecrow. In the hallway, like a lost ghost. In the bedroom, I see a shadow, from the moon with light from a candle. On a bed frame lies a girl, her reflection in the mirror. DeLonge then goes on to sing his 'ladadadadadadadaladada'. The song is definitely different from a lot of AVA's older stuff. It seems less synthesized and more empowered. And when I say synthesized, I mean the cool fading audio you hear in songs like Valkyrie Missile or The Adventure.

4/5 stars

Here is my all-time favorite song by Angels & Airwaves: Secret Crowds. This song comes in with a synthesizing sound (see?) with DeLonge's voice singing If I had my own world, I'd build you an empire. DeLonge sings about what the world would be like if it belonged to him. My favorite lines are ..spread hope like fire... and ...spread love like violence.... DeLonge sings about having no violence and wars, there's no police or packed parkign lots. There's kids walkin their dogs and the cleanest cars...etc. Let me heal you, carry you higher. Watch our words spread hope like fire. Secret crowds rise up and gather. Hear your voices sing back louder. DeLonge sings the chorus 4 times at the end of the song, with different instrumental rifts in the background.

5/5 stars

Star of Bethlehem was a Christmas Song released by AVA in 2006, when the song was originally about 8 minutes long, it is shortened to about 2 minutes. The song is instrumental.

3/5 stars

Star of Bethlehem fades into True Love which carries the same rift that SoB leaves off with, until DeLonge's voice comes in singing, 'yoayohwayohwayoh'. Willard's drumming becomes more powerful until the song kicks with a killer guitar and bass rift. The snow has come down on top of everything. The town is alive and well without you. In the background you can also hear She's a star...what are you waiting for? being spoken, but not necessarily in that order. The stars in the sky illminate the love. If the world were to die, then the light will guide you. True love. This is my second most favorite song from AVA. Of course, you can't just listen to True Love by itself; you have to listen to Star of Bethlehem before it everytime. If not, it just doesn't seem complete to me.

4.5/5 stars

Okay, to start off, and sorry about the random input, but the beginning of Lifeline sounds so much like the Pokéflute on Pokémon Snap. The song is one of the slower songs on the record, next to Breathe. If you wish it, wish it now. If you wish it, wish it loud...we all make mistakes, here's your lifeline. If you want it I want to. I'm impressed by DeLonge's vocals in this song, seeing as he was struggling with his voice during his tours with the first record. I saw AVA perform on Fuse's 'The Sauce' last month, and I will say, he definitely sounds very good. Lifeline is a great song, none the less, and of course, Tom threw in some 'yoohohohoh''s in there.

3.5/5 stars

Jumping Rooftops is a short lead-in to the next song, with a upbeat tempo. It makes me imagine a man jumping from roof to rooftop. I wonder why? I'm not going to rate this song, seeing as it's so short and leads into the next song...

When I read the lyrics to this song before the album came out, I knew I had to hear it for myself. I'm against downloading an album before it hits stores, but I had to get Rite of Spring. This autobiographical anthem talks abut DeLonge's life in summary. He mentions his life as a teenager when his father left his family and mentions starting his punk-rock multi-platinum band blink-182. This song gave me not just goosebumps, but a new found respect for Tom DeLonge. And everyday I wake, I tell myself a little harmless lie. The whole wide world is mine....'yoohohohoh'.

5/5 stars

Heaven starts off with lyrics from Valkyrie Missile, The Adventure, and Start the Machine. This song alone reminds me a bit of the first album, with Kennedy's guitar riff coming into the song with a faded beginning. DeLonge sings out that what we feel emotionlly must be what Heaven's like. Overall a good song, and a great outro to an awesome album.

3/5 stars

ALBUM RATING: 3.8/5
Math made my rating come out kind of in between, but if I had to rate the whole album, I'd give it a 4.8/5. If you're mature enough to handle this and into good music, I'd definitely reccommend buying this album.