“To the Stars” is the first musical release from Tom DeLonge after his departure from Blink-182 in January 2015. The eight-song album features many songs that were either cut from Angels and Airwaves’ latest album, 2014’s “The Dream Walker” or were planned to be on Blink-182’s cancelled 2015 album.

“New World” opens the album in excellent fashion, well representing all of DeLonge’s past musical outings. With core instrumentation similar to one of Blink-182’s more recent outings and a melody that is noticeably similar to Angels and Airwaves’ “Call to Arms,” this is truly a DeLonge track and may have been likely to appear on Blink-182’s cancelled 2015 album.

“An Endless Summer” has clear influences from both Blink-182 and Angels and Airwaves, with the former being well-represented in the chorus and the latter in the verses and interludes. The track is a fairly solid pop-rock track, but may be too standard to leave any sort of impression.

“Suburban Kings” is very reminiscent of Angels and Airwaves’ “Rite of Spring” from 2007’s “I-Empire” and sounds like it could have fit in with the rest of the album. The track feels like it’s been done before, but better. Aside from some more unique instruments used in the background, this track is mostly forgettable.

“This Invisible Parade” goes full acoustic. The lyrics are fairly well-done, but as a song it’s fine. Nothing more and nothing less.

“Circle-Jerk-Pit” picks the tempo back up with its frantic pace. However, with a lack of a coherent melody or any interesting musical moments it ends up being another average track.

“Landscapes” is a nice instrumental interlude that seems like it was a track that was cut from Angels and Airwaves’ latest album, 2014’s “The Dream Walker.” As an interlude, it does little to distinguish itself from others but works in its own way.

“Animals” begins with a refreshing change of pace. A mid-tempo acoustic groove with some airy vocals shows DeLonge’s first clear attempt to try something somewhat new on “To the Stars.” While “Animals” is musically refreshing in the album’s favor, the rest of the song lacks any other compelling aspects and unfortunately ends as sort of a disappointment.

“Golden Showers in the Golden State” seems to try to return to the juvenile songwriting techniques from Blink-182’s earlier endeavors. Musically, we’ve heard this sort of sound in many other Blink-182 songs. Lyrically, fans of Blink-182’s “Happy Holidays You Bastard” will be pleased as they are in many ways equally zany.

Overall, “To the Stars” has some fun tunes, but it’s hard to recommend this to anyone who is not a fan of any of DeLonge’s past outings. However, if you have ever been a fan of either Blink-182 or Angels and Airwaves you will most likely find something to enjoy.

Recommended tracks: “New World,” “An Endless Summer” and “Golden Showers in the Golden State”