To the Stars... Demos, Odds and Ends

A few weeks after DeLonge announced his departure from the pop punk band Blink-182, through social media he expressed his interest in releasing demos he wrote for a potential Blink-182 album.{{cite web| last = Sharp| first = Tyler| title = Is Tom DeLonge teasing songs that were meant to be for Blink-182?| work = Alternative Press| date = February 1, 2015| url = http://www.altpress.com/news/entry/is_tom_delonge_teasing_songs_that_were_meant_to_be_for_blink_182| accessdate = April 3, 2015}}{{cite web| last = Crane| first = Matt| title = Tom DeLonge will release new Blink-182 demos March 1| work = Alternative Press| date = February 19, 2015| url = http://www.altpress.com/news/entry/tom_delonge_will_release_new_blink_182_demos_march_1| accessdate = April 3, 2015}} The album To the Stars was formally announced on February 28, 2015,{{cite web| last = Sharp| first = Tyler| title = Tom DeLonge to release Blink-182 demos, more on new album, 'To The Stars'| work = Alternative Press| date = February 28, 2015| url = http://www.altpress.com/news/entry/tom_delonge_to_release_blink_182_demos_more_on_new_album_to_the_stars| accessdate = April 3, 2015}} and DeLonge later elaborated that the album was one of four albums he would be releasing in 2015; he intended to release two solo albums and two Angels & Airwaves albums,{{cite magazine| last = Kreps| first = Daniel| title = Tom DeLonge Maps Out Massive 2015 Plans, Details Blink-182 Rift| magazine = Rolling Stone| date = March 22, 2015| url = https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/tom-delonge-maps-out-massive-2015-plans-details-blink-182-rift-20150322| accessdate = March 23, 2015}} but by the end of the year only the solo album and the Angels & Airwaves EP ...Of Nightmares had been released.

Leading up to the album's release, DeLonge released several songs for online streaming with accompanying music or lyric videos. He first released an online stream for the track "New World" on March 10, 2015.{{cite web| last = Carley| first = Brennan| title = Tom DeLonge Lashes Out at Insecurities on Solo Single, 'New World'| work = Spin| date = March 10, 2015| url = http://www.spin.com/2015/03/tom-delonge-solo-new-world-single-song-stream/| accessdate = April 3, 2015}} A lyric video for the track "The Invisible Parade" was released on March 24, and the song itself may have been inspired by DeLonge's brother who served in Iraq as a Naval lieutenant.{{cite magazine| last = Blistein| first = Jon | title = Tom DeLonge Goes Acoustic on New Song 'The Invisible Parade'| magazine = Rolling Stone| date = March 24, 2015| url = https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/tom-delonge-goes-acoustic-on-new-song-the-invisible-parade-20150324| accessdate = April 3, 2015}} On April 7, an online stream for the track "Circle-Jerk-Pit" was released,{{cite web| last = Sharp| first = Tyler| title = Tom DeLonge revisits his roots with possible Blink-182 demo, 'Circle-Jerk-Pit'| work = Alternative Press| date = April 7, 2015| url = http://www.altpress.com/news/entry/tom_delonge_revisits_his_roots_with_possible_blink_182_demo_circle_jerk_pit| accessdate = April 7, 2015}} and a few weeks later a music video for the track was released on April 21.{{cite web| last = Sharp| first = Tyler| title = Tom DeLonge debuts video for possible Blink-182 demo, 'Circle-Jerk-Pit'| work = Alternative Press| date = April 21, 2015| url = http://www.altpress.com/news/entry/tom_delonge_debuts_video_for_possible_blink_182_demo_circle_jerk_pit| accessdate = April 21, 2015}}

The official music video for "New World" was released on April 2, 2015. It was directed by Mark Eaton and consists of time-lapsed scenes of DeLonge destroying various instruments, a laptop and sound equipment at his studio Jupiter Sound in San Diego, using a Squier Stratocaster guitar and a sledgehammer. These scenes are interspersed with others of DeLonge wandering the streets of San Diego, holding the same destroyed Squier Stratocaster held together with duct tape. NME described the video as being "symbolic"{{cite web| author = NME News Desk| title = Former Blink-182 member Tom DeLonge shares symbolic video for 'New World'| work = NME| date = April 2, 2015| url = https://www.nme.com/news/blink-182/84192| accessdate = April 3, 2015}} and Billboard said that it is "hard not to think of this as an eff you to his old band, as he packs up his stratocaster and hits the streets."{{cite magazine| last = Stutz| first = Colin| title = Watch Tom DeLonge Trash The Stage in 'New World' Video| magazine = Billboard| date = April 2, 2015| url = https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/6523938/tom-delonge-new-world-video-blink-182| accessdate = April 3, 2015}}

{{Music ratings

|MC=49/100{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/to-the-stars-demos-odds-and-ends/tom-delonge/details|title=Reviews for To the Stars: Demos, Odds and Ends by Tom DeLonge|publisher=Metacritic|accessdate=May 28, 2015}}

|rev1=AllMusic

|rev1score={{Rating|3|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/to-the-stars-demos-odds-and-ends-mw0002843911|title=To the Stars: Demos, Odds and Ends - Tom DeLonge - Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards|accessdate=May 28, 2015|author=Erlewine, Stephen Thomas|author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine|work=AllMusic}}

|rev2=Consequence of Sound

|rev2score=D{{cite web|url=http://consequenceofsound.net/2015/04/album-review-tom-delonge-to-the-stars-demos-odds-and-ends/|title=Consequence of Sound Review|website=Consequence of Sound|last=Brennan|first=Collin|date=April 14, 2015|accessdate=May 28, 2015}}

|rev3=Punknews.org

|rev3score={{rating|2|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.punknews.org/review/13441/tom-delonge-demos-odds-and-ends|title=Tom Delonge - Demos, Odds and Ends |website=Punknews.org|author=Jon|date=April 21, 2015|accessdate=January 7, 2016}}

|rev4=Rolling Stone

|rev4score={{Rating|2|5}}{{cite magazine|last=Spanos|first=Brittany |title=Blink-182 dude has trouble finding a clear solo identity|magazine=Rolling Stone|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/tom-delonge-to-the-stars-demos-odds-and-ends-20150518|date=May 18, 2015|accessdate=May 28, 2015}}

}}

To the Stars received mixed reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a rating determined by a "weighted average" of reviews from mainstream critics, the album received a score of 49, based on 4 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic considered the album transitional, writing, "To the Stars does feel like a solo album but it also does feel a bit like a warehouse -- a way to clear the decks as he preps for the next great project." Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone felt DeLonge unsuccessful in determining a "clear solo identity", opining, "if this "Suburban King" wants to rise again, he may need some help from his friends." Mike Damante of the Houston Chronicle was passive, commenting, "For the most part, these demos are enjoyable, but it would be sad if they never reached the proper means for their purpose and were recorded for the projects they were intended for in the first place."{{cite news|title=New music roundup: Tom DeLonge, Matt And Kim, Death Cab for Cutie|url=http://blog.chron.com/miked/2015/04/new-music-roundup-tom-delonge-matt-and-kim-death-cab-for-cutie/|work=Houston Chronicle|author=Mike Damante|date=April 20, 2015|accessdate=July 28, 2015}} Kerrang! deemed it "a distinctly mixed bag".{{cite journal|title=To the Stars Review|journal=Kerrang!|date=May 2, 2015|page=52}}

1. "New World" – 3:34
2. "An Endless Summer" – 4:09
3. "Suburban Kings" – 4:10
4. "The Invisible Parade" – 3:29
5. "Circle-Jerk-Pit" – 1:59
6. "Landscapes" – 2:14
7. "Animals" – 3:41
8. "Golden Showers in the Golden State" – 2:35

Credits for To the Stars... Demos, Odds and Ends adapted from liner notes.{{cite AV media notes | title=To the Stars | year=2015| others=Tom DeLonge | type=liner notes | publisher=To the Stars}}

• Tom DeLonge – guitars, vocals, bass guitar, piano, synth strings, production
• Brooks Wackerman – drums
• Aaron Rubin – production, bass guitar on "An Endless Summer", recording engineer, mixing engineer
• Brian Gardner – mastering engineer
• Tom Lord-Alge – mixing engineer on "Suburban Kings"

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{{Tom DeLonge}}

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Category:Blink-182

Category:2015 debut albums

Category:Tom DeLonge albums

Category:Self-released albums

Category:Albums produced by Tom DeLonge

Category:2010s demo albums