Valkyrie Missile
A cinematic opening that starts with a haunting organ melody and an astronauts voice asking 'anybody out there?' A huge soundscape is built up over an 80's guitar sound as DeLonges impassioned vocals grow to a massive climax - 'Take a chance cos I know you want to'
DeLonge: "It's a flagship song for the band. It's a great introduction to what AVA's about. - that something special can come out of destruction."

The Adventure
An exhilirating ode to a beckoning future, with a huge guitar sound reminiscent of the cure. Epic, intricate melodies and gorgeous vocal harmonies combine as DeLonge sings "Hello, here I am, here we go, Life's waiting to begin.
DeLonge: "This song is very anthemic and has a euphoric feel to it. It's got big programmed beats, a big crescendo and the guitar riffing that people would expect of me - but it sounds like it comes from the future."

The War
Heavy power chords stomp boldly over a gigantic drum beat that sounds like an army marching into battle. Imagine a stadium on their feet pledging allegience to AVA.
DeLonge:"This one has to be played loud! It's an anthem. 'the bodies lay black and blue, a gift from me to you'. I'm not intelligent enough to sit here and be anti-war or pro-war but all i know is 100,000 people died in Iraq and that's a terrible situation."

A Little's Enough
A slow burning riff, soft drum kick and creeping bass line allow DeLonge's words to take centre stage. Enter God coming down from heaven and telling us how to stop fucking everything up. Ambitious but beautiful.
DeLonge: "In a world that's plagued with war, terrorism, famine and all these things that are so ugly, what if God came down and fixed everything? That's what this is about - '...the best dream to have where everything is not so bad and every tear is so alone, like God himself is coming home.' It's really powerful.

Distraction
Over a muscular drum beat peppered with hand claps, a simple keyboard melody dances with verses lamenting death and destruction, as the song rises to a rock charged chorus that drives hope home like a hammer on a nail.
DeLonge: "This song isn't about Blink. It's about being somewhere that's totally destroyed and you look to the one you love and say 'i'll be your distraction.' It's about the way the world is now and how it seems that we can so easily fall into war. As an American, it feels like it's spinning out of control."

It Hurts
A lean guitar riff and heavy drums kick in and stop. Pause. As the vocals make their entrance, everything grows towards an amazingly emotional chorus that culminates in DeLonge admitting 'it hurts' over and over. An anthem for the broken-hearted.
DeLonge: "I have a friend who's got a girlfriend that's the cheating type. It's a terrible situation where my friend is being crushed from the inside out by all the manipulative stuff she's doing and this song's about that.

Do It For Me Now
A desperately sad love song that sounds uplifting at the same time. Makes you feel like you're flying.
DeLonge: " I wrote this a while ago for a rapper. It never came out but in making that song, we did this thing that created a morse code sound. So I took that element of that song and created this. The guitar riff makes me feel like the sun is coming over the horizon. The idea is that you're looking at this girl and everything is wrong but you know that she can make you feel like you're the only person in the universe."

Start The Machine
DeLonge: This is the last song on the album. I always take my daughter to this ice-cream place. Next door is a toy shop and they had a pink toy piano in there. It sounded so good, so I bought it. The very next day I put it in my shower and played that part. I pictured being on a boat and as you're leaving a city in flames, you see a tropical island, like you're going to a beautiful place. I make references to my past in this song - 'I left the chill and voice of screams and kids and ran for shelter'. In leaving the desolation and negativity behind, you find something beautiful."