AFI - Crash Love
California punk rockers AFI have been around for roughly two decades now refusing to stay still. They've progressed and refined their sound as the years have gone by. Starting off with a purely punk sound with their first two album, adding in hardcore elements in their third, bringing in dark gothic themes with their next two and finally polishing that sound and style to a shine and packaging it in a more radio friendly package with their most widely known album Sing The Sorrow.
Their last album December Underground saw them bringing in a lot more of the electronic elements and production they had only sprinkled in their last few albums. It ended up being over-saturated and over produced. Most of the songs ranged from earnest efforts, showing signs of something great, to a bit too much fluff and over the top. Sing The Sorrow featured a style they essentially pioneered, pulling heavily from bands like The Misfits and The Damned. December Underground saw that style take a backseat to cliched lyrics, screams, and production that pretty much every band was trying to emulate. It was AFI trying to copy AFI with Blaqk Audio doing the producing (Jade and Davey's electro-pop side project), it fell short of the lofty standards AFI had created for themselves. It was by no means a bad album, it just doesn't live up to their standards.
So it's 4 years later and AFI has delivered Crash Love. Take everything you thought you knew about how an AFI album should sound and throw it out the window. All the production, all the electronic work, all the dramatic guitar riffs, hardcore beats, growls and outward aggressiveness are stripped out. What we're left with is one of the most earnest, pure, ambitious outings AFI has ever done. Outwardly it's the most poppy, sappy, upbeat album they've made. Yet if you give a real listen and peel back the bright and shiny exterior, it's also one of the darkest albums they've ever written. Not in the same dramatic gothic way that Sing The Sorrow and The Art Of Drowning were dark, but in a much more subtle way. So subtle that it's very easy to miss it and over look it on a first pass. This is really an album you have to listen to more than just once. It's easy for older AFI fans to dismiss it simply because of the dramatic shift in sound and style. It's easy for newer listeners to pass it because of how safe it sounds and due to the lack of outward aggression. That's merely the surface of this album however.
Musically it's a throw back to the 80's post punk movement. Channeling bands like The Smiths, the sound is really stripped down rock with elements of punk. Chanting choruses, slower bass lines, upbeat guitar riffs all find their home on this album. Davey Havok really shows his true vocal range on this album and his pure talent as a singer. Nothing sounds out of place or forced. He never really goes quite as high as he does on previous albums and never really goes into the growling nor screaming territory. Jade's guitar work really compliments his voice and vocal delivery, and Hunter's bass lines definitely push the songs along, ever if they aren't as pulsing or fast as before. Musically speaking it's easy to find yourself thinking this is just a love album, as the title would imply.
Lyrically is where the true nature of this album is reveled. This album is not a sappy love album, it's dark and truly depressing. Full of lament, loss, yearning, tragic love. It's Romeo and Juliet in musical form. It's why at the end of the day AFI is the best at what they do. Few other lyricists can infuse so much emotion and imagery into 3 or 4 minutes as Davey Havok can. The song Beautiful Thieves for example is basically telling the story of two lovers who turn the establishment on its head and robbing them blind, yet never coming out and explicitly stating anything. It talks about embracing death and dieing while still looking good. Veronica Sawyer Smokes is probably my favorite song off this album, telling the story of unrequited love so eloquently. Sacrilege is probably the closest they come to 'classic' AFI aside from the opening Torch Song. It's basically a giant fuck you to religion and the aristocracy. It's extremely deep, brooding, and haunting. Lines like "Don't tell them you can walk on water or they might drink your blood" are acerbic and will stick with you.
Crash Love is an easy album to dismiss upon first listen. Stylistically and on the surface it ditches everything that AFI is known for. Removing the layers of production and theatrics to reveal the most passionate work this band has every released. Any fans of The Cure or The Smiths should feel right at home immediately. Anyone looking for a deeper and darker work of art need to give this a few listens to truly appreciate this album. It's basically like a bright colored cake filled with Oreo crumbs, rich dark chocolate ice cream, and cherries. Once you get past the bright seemingly inviting surface layer of frosting you end up with a rewarding mix of deep, decadent flavors that will leave you wanting more and welcoming all the chef/artist has put into this cake. If you skipped this album when it came out, check your expectations and prejudices at the door and give it another go, it will surprise you. Also now I want cake.
