AFI, 'Crash Love' (DGC/Interscope)
Maestros of gloom compose another epic lament.
By J. Gabriel Boylan 09.15.09 1:58 PM
A first-gen MySpace-fueled success story formed in the Warped Tour crucible, AFI know what their fans want: despair, decay, nonstop tours, online scavenger hunts, message-board worlds, Twitter updates, broken hearts, betrayal, and a beat you can (slam)dance to! In that relentless spirit, Crash Love never pauses to take a breath or slows the tempo or eases back on the hypercompressed everything. The whole history of gloomy pop is on display, but the band's hardcore background doesn't allow for the more subtle atmospherics of, say, Bauhaus or even the Cramps.
"Torch Song" boasts a triumphal theme accompanied by church bells, with Jade Puget's guitar swinging from sweet rock hooks to metal chug and back, as Davey Havok's proggy vocal tics play off a crowd-sung chant of "Anything!" "Veronica Sawyer Smokes" channels New Order, from the spare yet propulsive backbeat to the sinewy guitar line. Too often, though, Puget's fine guitar work can't overcome traces of the band's oompah pop-punk past or lyrics both illogical ("The broken radio was playing suicide") and cliché ("I feel nothing").
Album centerpiece "I Am Trying Very Hard to Be Here" echoes their 2006 hit "Miss Murder," with its Sabbath riffs, melodramatic breakdowns, and gang shouts of "Flash, flash car crash!" More crucially, members of the band's Despair Faction fan club voice that refrain. AFI may not be breaking new ground, but they never forget who listens hardest.
Crash love was a big dissapointment for me. I love the AFI of Black Sails and Art of Drowning. Sing the Sorrow was good as well. But AFI lost me with Crash love. They seemed to be overly influenced by MCR and all these other sell out commercial bands. although I held back on Dember Underground I must say AFI are just changing for change sake. They should go back and listen to their music up til 2001. Then they should try to top it. They stopped moving vertically and are playing horizontal offering us nothing
completely agree with henry...instead of wasting so much time on appearance, online networking sites, music videos, and big tours with bands who sold their colors long ago...AFI need to remember what it felt like when people said their music unique and revolutionary. Otherwise this bland, over-produced garbage will lead the band into obscurity...erasing the importance of Black Sails and the Art of Drowning
It's one thing to say you don't like the album, but don't say a band "should go back and listen to their music up til 2001," expecting them to revert back on your behalf...
An album is the product of many things, and years from its conception, serves as a timecapsule of sorts showing others what the band was doing, or feeling at the time it was made. No band in the history of music ever made an 8th studio album that sounded like the first... it just doesn't happen. Song writers mature, musicians become influenced by other musicians, recording equipment evolves, producers change... it is just impossible to always stay the same.
Crash Love is certainly a product of the experiences the band has gone through over the last year. It sounds nothing like decemberunderground, because Jade and Davey went off and did Blaqk Audio, which was purely an electronic project. After relying soley on synths and electronics for that project, one can understand why Jade would shoot for a purely "guitar driven" rock album when it came to writing the music for this album.
I did not say that they should revert. I said that it should remind them of how to be truly unique and innovative. I don't Know like what you want but I hold myself to a higher standard. AFI use to be refreshing to listen to. They offered something that could be appreciated by fans of various types of music. Now they offer us what? if you want that i can't tell you not to like it but please don't excuse them. If you are or were a true AFI fan from the start you would appreciate my words but from the sound of things, you weren't.
man so true i miss the old afi, that just rocked and played great punk music, i lost them after sing the sorrow, but bar far black sails and the art of drowning were the best albums, and i dont even know if i want to pick this one up! from what ur telling me is this is a see out album, which so was du, as anyways hope one day they realize what they did and come back and play some punk the way they use to!!
I miss the old AFI so much!!! Up until Sing The Sorrow they were brilliant. And Being an avid fan, have everyone of their albums, Punk Fiction on vinyl and the awesome pic of Davey dressed as Uma thurman from Punk ficition, i was dissapointed in December Underground. But i bought it anyway, because they are my favorite band. I dunno if i can do it this time though, i too love The Art of Drowning and Black Sails in the Sunset so much, and still listen to them in the car. I know everyone needs change and staying fresh and new is what keeeps the fame and fans rolling in, but i miss the indie label AFI so much!!!
Fans that want to their favorite band or artist to recreate a prior album should just move on to a new band. The 2009 AFI are exploring their Indie and new wave influences not to mention they are a band in their early to mid-thirties. You can't expect a band of this magnitude who played their own brand of punk for the better part of their career to continue on that path. For the exception of Slayer, its rather boring for great bands to continue putting out the same album. There is no dynamic to that. While The Art of Drowning was a great "punk rock" record, The latter three AFI releases including Crash Love have catapulted the band as a solidified "rock" band. "Veronica Sawyer Smokes" is a wonderful version of the greatest song The Smiths never wrote and "End Transmission" just rips throughout its duration. No band wants to stay in the van and continue to play to 50 people. Melody is not a bad thing. Just ask Green Day.
Green Day sucks. And if you were a true punk fan you would know how much damage they have done to music today. now fall out boy thinks they are punk. please! let AFI make their millions off you. I will wait for product worth my hard earned money
i agree with everyone here except "johnny truelove".
green day needs to go away now.
I have a very broad taste in music, but I am very picky, even inside my prefered genres.
So far I love everyting from afi from "very proud of ya" to "sing the sorrow".
Decemberunderground needed some time to sink in, but now I really appreciate all the effort and the eye for details, as well as the overall atmosphere and gloomy winterish feel to it. Great album to listen to if you're in the right mood, and musically excellent
I'm afraid crash love will end up a sligth bit, erm, more forgetable? So far I rather like it, but it is not that great. And as it is way easier to listen to than decemberunderground, there is less potential to reveal its true value. It just lacks some edges and character. Sure it more mainstream pop than anything they did before, but, hey, they always kept changing. The songs are still unique, Davey's voice is great and it has it's moments, but somehow it still doesn't feel right. Could have used a bit more distortion in the guitars and generally a less clean production.
I'd give it 3.5 out of 5 Stars, but I still hope my mind changes the same way as it did with decemberunderground.
PS: I criticized the clean production on the album, but I'm pretty sure some of the songs will kick ass life, as there is less fumbling with the mixers. The just do awesome shows. Just awesome.
Most people are saying that they have become more "pop" than rock. Sure, okay, but I can still hear where they come from. People are saying they've forgotten where they come from, the punk rock and all, but to be honest, I can still hear it. If you can't, you aren't listening close enough. x.x Sorry, but true, I think.
I've always been a fan of AFI. I love their older songs and I love these new songs (especially songs I can sing along to). I have to say, though, there are some disappointments I've had with the band, but I still love them.
You don't like this album, that's your choice. I love this album, especially the lyrics and the way they're phrased. And Davey's voice fits beautifully with the lyrics being sung. The day after I got this CD, I put it on my mp3 player to listen to.
I'm already anticipating another release (even if it's just come out XD).
So many idiots in here. "Overly influenced by MCR?" I talked to Adam once and he said he had never heard an MCR song. And Davey is openly very pop-culturally unaware so I doubt he knows much about bands like that either. All of these pop influences are coming from their love of The Cure, The Smiths, etc. Not MCR. Some of you are so ignorant and dense.
You are an idiot if you think they don't know MCR. They have gone to enough award shows to know. Who else don't they know, the Beatles or Michael Jackson
As said perfectly by "Dave C" music is not created in a vacuum. Myriad influences impress the outcome. Consider it as more of a snapshot in time. I personally like "Sing the Sorrow" and can listen to it all day long, but I'm willing to see where AFI is headed.
Jade Puget is one of the finest guitar players I've ever heard, he's one of the reasons I got into them. Davey's voice drew me in and the band as a whole won me over.
When "Sing the Sorrow" was released Guitar Player Magazine (not known for lavishing praise on punk or alternative musicians) called Jade one of the most important guitar players alive, saying "He bridges genres effortlessly and is a master of melody and rhythm".
I like that description....it still applies.
re: illogical lyrics... the broken radio works just well enough to sputter out a staticky ghost of Alan Vega's spectral voice. It's a powerful image. I'm surprised that someone writing for Spin didn't catch the reference.
I must admit I was taken aback at first and thought for a second that they had 'lost it' and/or 'sold out'.
Give it a few listen to get used to the glossy new production and you'll hear songs that would have been at right home on 'Black Sails', AOD or STS...
Bands evolve and grow up...These guys are my age, and to tell you the truth I might have been bored if they had been rehashing the same old stuff and stayed stagnant. As an artist, there are only so many ways you can say the same thing before moving on.
Listen to the chord structures, the riffs, and the lyrics. This is the same old AFI...I love this album way more than Decemberundergroud which, to me at least, was less cohesive...Good job!
This band has being going down hill since the release of Sing the Sorrow; I loved everything before that album. I agree with the folks who would like to hear something a little closer to their earlier work. I understand that bands need to change their sound, but when they change it to poppy whiny drivel it's a shame.
"Hey there, gang! My name is J. GABRIEL BOYLAN. I write for a music publication...yet I'm unfamiliar with influential New York City synth duo, Suicide. I can't even think to do a Google search when in doubt. They've been around since the early 70's? Who the heck is Martin Rev?"
Man, I wish I was paid to write reviews with the credibility of a Junior High newspaper.
"But...but...I mentioned New Order!!"
Very good, J. Gabriel Boylan. Very good! For that, see if your boss will stick a gold star to your forehead...you've earned the right to parade around the Spin offices showing your cohorts how smart you are!
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