Box Car Racer (album)

Box Car Racer was conceived by Blink-182 guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge and formed during a break from touring. DeLonge, who came to prominence as guitarist of Blink-182, began his career within the band's fast-paced, irreverent pop-punk style, This stylistic shift coincided with the band’s heightened commercial visibility in the early 2000s, as Blink-182 became a multi-platinum arena act. The pressures of fame shaped each member differently: DeLonge sought greater privacy, married in 2001, and he felt a growing urge to explore material that would not leave him constrained by what Blink-182 had become. He also expressed frustration with major label expectations and with not being taken seriously within the broader punk community. Physical strain added to this transitional period: DeLonge suffered a herniated disc that required surgery in 2001, and the resulting painkiller regimen caused what he later described as "neurosis-inducing side effects." he considered it in its earliest stages to be a "Violent Femmes-esque acoustic record". The unnamed project went through other names, such as The Kill, and the album was initially titled Et tu, Brute?. He eventually settled on the name Box Car Racer, which was actually the name of a band Barker was in just after high school that DeLonge liked. He began writing songs about the end of the world, and connected it thematically with the biblical Book of Revelation and World War II. When reading about the war, DeLonge was "freaked out" to learn that Fat Man, the atomic bomb that was detonated over Nagasaki, was dropped from the B-29 bomber Bockscar (commonly misspelled Boxcar). ==Recording and production==

Box Car Racer was recorded over six weeks beginning in December 2001, primarily at Signature Sound in San Diego, California. When the musicians entered the studio, little was changed aside from certain lyrics, according to assistant engineer Sam Boukas. Barker completed his drum tracks in one day at two recording facilities in Los Angeles prior to the Signature sessions, with all parts recorded in the first take. DeLonge invited musician David Kennedy, whom he had met in the San Diego music circuit some years prior, to perform lead guitar parts on the album. Roger Joseph Manning Jr. plays keyboards on the record. Journalist Joe Shooman writes that the album followed a DIY spirit, rather than spending "months and months refining and polishing everything for a major label and international pop market." According to Boukas, an MCA representative dropped in on the sessions and was pleased with what he heard. ==Composition and artwork==

Box Car Racer was inspired by and is partly a tribute to bands DeLonge credited as an influence, such as Quicksand, Musically, it is not drastically different than Blink-182, though it puts more emphasis on "slower, heavier rhythms" instead of being fast-paced. Critics primarily labeled the album as pop punk, but with a few other genre categories being ascribed to the album. PopMatters described the album as a "hardcore/emo/punk rock album" while also describing it as a pop punk album. USA Today labeled the album as power pop. The subject matter found on Box Car Racer explores the apocalypse, conspiracy theories, and Freemasonry. The album follows a central storyline, regarding an unnamed boy during the end of the world. Barker and DeLonge wrote the songs together. DeLonge would decide what key he would sing the song in, and Barker would mostly arrange the song, toying with its structure and tempo/time signature. As for his performance on the album, Barker considered it a "totally different approach to the drums ... there are, like, jazzy bridges. ... It's so much more open and roomy." The album's final song, "Instrumental", was removed on the cassette edition of the album and replaced with an instrumental version of "I Feel So". The album's artwork, described by Shooman, consists of "bleak burgundy brown and black silhouettes plus a graffiti-esque band logo." The hidden message "LNW 13 01 1" is printed on the CD insert, which are coordinates pointing to Manhattan, New York. Art direction for the album was headed by Tim Stedman, with Stedman and Marcos Orozco designing the package. Keegan Gibbs was responsible for the "Box Car Racer" logo, while Maxx Gramajo created the tag logo artwork. Scott Heisel of Punknews.org considered the album similar to Blink-182, describing it as "Blink 182 in drop D tuning". ==Controversy==

, Blink-182’s bassist and vocalist, was omitted from the project, a highly visible exclusion that fueled long-term friction. Box Car Racer was notable in that it brought together two-thirds of Blink-182, effectively excluding bassist Mark Hoppus. The secrecy surrounding the project deepened an emerging personal rift within the band. Though the trio were outwardly buoyant, retaining their trademark brand of humor onstage, a quiet distance had begun to develop between DeLonge and Hoppus, intensified by exhaustion, competition, and the pressures of fame. Before the band took a break from touring, DeLonge had told Hoppus that he was looking forward to time away from music. Hoppus was therefore surprised to learn through mutual friends that DeLonge was working on new material. The two had long been creative partners, making the silence particularly unusual. DeLonge eventually called Hoppus to describe the project as a small acoustic collaboration with David Kennedy, and although he remained wary, Hoppus reluctantly accepted the proposal. The project quickly "snowballed" beyond its original intent, evolving from casual studio sessions into a fully formed band, according to DeLonge. He explained that his primary goal was to freely experiment in the studio and that he had not anticipated the scale the project would ultimately reach. Although the work had originated from their shared jams, DeLonge claimed that Barker was brought in primarily to avoid hiring a session musician. "They were like, 'Oh my god. What is this?! You might have done the most incredible re-branding and marketing thing ever done in music!'" DeLonge recalled. partly to avoid being publicly portrayed as an outsider. Despite this compromise, the entire episode shaped their internal dynamics for years to come, contributing to long-term friction. It was cited as a factor in the band's 2005 breakup: in that similar turn of events, DeLonge requested time off from the band for space, but was privately tempted with a solo deal with the band's label. That arrangement eventually led to his next project, Angels & Airwaves, which included Kennedy and was described by DeLonge as a continuation of the creative direction initiated with Box Car Racer. Over time, Blink-182 members attempted to reconcile the rift: the band incorporated a Box Car Racer song into a medley on their 2024 tour. Hoppus has referred to the album as a "good album," but acknowledged that the dynamic and creative chemistry within Blink-182 was permanently altered from the experience. ==Critical reception==

Aaron Scott of Slant was favorable in his review of Box Car Racer, writing, "Neither genre-obsessed nor intent on defying convention, Box Car Racer is the perfect union between pop-punk riffs and instrumentation that spans all rock genres from indie to folk. Finally, we have a pop band that is attempting to take advantage of the potential of its instruments." Edna Gunderson of USA Today was positive, commenting, "The music, while upbeat and even giddy, steers away from adolescent pranks and pratfalls, a welcome upgrade. The band creates a fresh breed of post-punk power pop by roughing up bright melodies." The positive reception of the album was in contrast to the reviews for Blink, which were often negative. "I think it's a cop-out for [critics] to like the music I do," DeLonge told the Arizona Daily Star. "Critics can't say they like Blink or give us any credit, 'cause we're out there goofing around." Barker was more critical: "I especially don't care what the critics say. Most of them are like 50 years old and they're not really educated in what kind of music we're playing to begin with!" Scott Heisel of Punknews.org denounced the album as "completely and utterly forgettable". ==Commercial performance==

Box Car Racer was released worldwide on May 21, 2002, by MCA Records. The album debuted on the Billboard 200 at number 12 on May 30, 2002, selling 65,000 copies in its first week. The numbers were considered surprising given that the album had virtually no promotion. "The overall response to this album has been ridiculous. We didn't have much push or anything, we didn't do a whole lot of promo before the album came out and it still did really well," said Barker. "There Is" was issued as the album's second and final single, and peaked at number 32 on the same chart in November 2002. The music video for that song was inspired by the film Say Anything... (1989), and was directed by Alexander Kosta. Both videos, as well as bonus footage, were included on a self-titled DVD, which was released November 2002. ==Touring==

To support the album, the project morphed into a full band, with Barker, DeLonge, and Kennedy. Barker invited his friend Anthony Celestino to play bass. He had initially wanted Alex Barreto, who was in the original Box Car Racer, to be a part of the "second version" of the band, but he could not get in touch with him. They played their first four shows in April 2002. The group commenced a full-scale tour behind the album in October 2002, with 22 North American shows supported by the Used and H2O. Though DeLonge would joke around at shows, as he was known for doing with Blink-182, the overall mood was much different. "With Blink, I can't wait until I get done playing a song so I can say something stupid. With this band I hardly talk at all," he told Las Vegas Weekly. He expounded upon this in another interview: "It's a much more powerful, emotional experience than it is with Blink. To play songs and have them showcased to where it represents what this kind of music is all about is a welcome experience. It's not about anything but the music itself." ==Aftermath==

Although Box Car Racer dissolved by 2003 amid the interpersonal discomfort it had caused within Blink-182, the album has maintained a lasting popularity among fans. In a 2003 interview with Kerrang!, DeLonge claimed the album was only an attempt to "challenge myself to do different shit": "I did it for myself, whether it sold a million copies or just one, it was for myself." The article's author, Tom Bryant, describes the album's effect on subsequent Blink-182 albums: "It allowed [DeLonge], and therefore the band, to assess whether, approaching or in their 30s, they still really wanted to be writing songs about splitting up from teenage sweethearts or whether it was time to address something a little more serious and a little more important." Mark Hoppus has remained largely diplomatic in reflecting on the album, describing it as "a good record that nearly brought down our band," though he acknowledges that it remains a sensitive point in Blink-182's history. For their part, both DeLonge and Barker have repeatedly expressed interest in reuniting the band. A continued collaboration between the two later produced the song "Terrified", which was repurposed for Blink-182's 2023 album One More Time. In later interviews, drummer Travis Barker noted that Box Car Racer developed a reputation as a "drummer's drummer" record due to its loose, improvisatory drum parts. Speaking to Modern Drummer, he noted "Drummers everywhere seemed to love it, and I'm flattered." ==Track listing==

;Notes • An instrumental version of "I Feel So" is present on the cassette edition of the album, replacing track 13, "Instrumental". ==Personnel==

Information adapted from CD liner notes. Box Car Racer • Thomas DeLonge – vocals, guitars, bass guitar • David Kennedy – guitars • Travis Barker – drums, percussion Production • Jerry Finn – producer • Rich Costey – mixing • Joe McGrath – engineering • Brian Gardner – mastering • Darren Mora – assistant engineer • Jeff Moses – assistant engineer • Sam Boukas – assistant engineer • Mike Fasano – drum technician Management • Rick DeVoe – management • Gary Ashley – A&R Artwork • Tim Stedman – art direction, illustration, photography • Marcos Orozco – illustration, photography • Maxx Gramajo – tag logo artwork • Keegan Gibbs – "Box Car Racer" logo Additional musicians • Roger Joseph Manning Jr. – keyboards • Mark Hoppus – featured vocals on "Elevator" • Tim Armstrong – featured vocals on "Cat Like Thief" • Jordan Pundik – backing vocals on "Cat Like Thief" == Charts ==

Weekly charts Year-end charts == Certifications ==

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