Track listing:
1. Torch Song
2. Beautiful Thieves
3. End Transmission
4. Too Shy to Scream
5. Veronica Sawyer Smokes
6. Okay, I Feel Better Now
7. Medicate
8. I Am Trying Very Hard to Be Here
9. Sacrilege
10. Darling, I Want to Destroy You
11. Cold Hands
12. It Was Mine
AFI is a band known for changing its styles from album to album; not drastically, but always just enough to keep things fresh and exciting whilst still showcasing each member’s respective talents. While the band describe previous record Decemberunderground as more “subtle,” Crash Love takes a more direct approach and is more in your face, featuring a more familiar rock sound, yet still having enough hardcore and punk elements to satisfy the significant emo portion of it fan base. Blaqk Audio, the side project of guitarist Jade Puget and singer Davey Havok, had resulted in the band’s previous album containing more electronic elements than previous records, but those are all but gone nowadays, much to delight of much of the band’s fan base, I don’t doubt. The result is a sound that is comparable to the likes of The Cure, The Smiths, or if you want a more recent example, Alkaline Trio.
While Decemberunderground failed to really corner one specific sound, it did capture a lot of fans, as will this new record, which incorporates elements of goth rock, punk, emo, hardcore, and pop. The best part about all of this though, is the fact the band really manages to take some of the best parts about those specific genres and bring them all together. The record has great rhythm and a whole host of big choruses, but also packs a real punch, one of the more intense albums that the band has ever produced, in my opinion. This is all well summarized in one the album’s highlights “Cold Hands,” which has a fantastic hook and is driven forward by some really tight cords, guitar work being provided by Jade Puget, who at times seems to channel Jimmy Page on this record (“Torch Song” is perhaps the best example of this).
I would say that the first half of the album, up to an including “Medicate,” is significantly better than the latter half, though that’s not to say there aren’t songs of worth towards the end of the record. “Beautiful Thieves” is another of the album’s highlights, a bombastic slice of glam rock, with typically macabre lyricism and vocal delivery. Elsewhere, Davey’s idiosyncrasies make the likes of “Veronica Sawyer Smokes” one of the album’s more impressive songs; it’s vocally sublime, and the chorus is just huge. You really can’t fault it. “Medicate” was a good choice for first-single though, it’s as catchy as it melodic and features just some impressive guitar work. Puget’s finest moment, however, comes on the next track, “I Am Trying Very Hard to Be Here,” his accomplished and unexpected chord changes in the third verse making the song that much more memorable than most of the others on the second half of the album.
“Darling, I Want to Destroy You” is a disappoint though, in that it seemingly caters to the more fickle AFI fan, those angst-ridden teens who yearn for the band to go back to the times of Songs of Sorrow, which admittedly was very impressive lyrically. Similarly, album-closer “It Was Mine” underwhelms, but on the whole, Crash Love is a far more and intricate and better-produced record than anything the band has done in recent years and has to rank up there among the band’s very best work. The band’s exploration into a more straight forward punk rock sound has resulted in the band putting together some of their more complex songs as they focus less on trying to cater to a particular group of fans and more on writing a solid rock and roll record that still retains the band’s dark age that they are perhaps best known for.
Essential downloads: “Torch Song,” “Beautiful Thieves,” “Too Shy to Scream,” “OK I Feel Better Now,” “Medicate,” “I Am Trying Very Hard to Be Here” and “Cold Hands.”
The 411: A few duds aside, the vast majority of tracks on this record are keepers. Puget is reaching a peak with this record, and the clever lyrics and smashing vocals of Davey Havok add to some immense musicianship, resulting in one of AFI's finest moments.
Another good track on the record is "Sacrilege." Love the chorus on that, it sticks with you. My favorite track though has got to be "Veronica Sawyer Smokes." Catchy as hell plus I appreciate a good Heathers reference wherever I can get one.
Posted By: JMAC (Guest) on October 24, 2009 at 07:34 AM
Their albums get worse and worse. They are unlistenable right now.
Posted By: Dude (Guest) on October 24, 2009 at 02:54 PM
I want my "Black Sails in the Sunset" back =(
I mean, there are far worse bands out there than what AFI has turned into, it just is that much more disappointing to think about it after knowing how great of music they'd put out prior.
Posted By: Ruiner (Guest) on October 25, 2009 at 01:36 AM
