AFI: Crash Love

Crash Love. It’s the newest album by AFI. I’d like to say it was long anticipated, but the truth is I kind of forgot it was coming. I knew after the Blaqk Audio album that a new AFI album was coming eventually, but I didn’t keep tabs on it.

I will go ahead and admit, at the risk of losing any street-punk cred I had left from my 15 year old days, that I like decemberunderground. I like it a lot, even.

Which brings us, somehow, to Crash Love. Most people, it seems, disliked decemberunderground. Vehemently. I know they weren’t the old school die-hard AFI fans, because most of those decided AFI sold out after songs like I Wanna Mohawk (But Mom Won’t Let Me Get One) went out the window.

Anyway, public backlash against decemberunderground was largely widespread, but I liked it. It felt honest, like it’s really what they wanted to do. Crash Love doesn’t give me the same vibe. For one thing it feels more theatrical. Some of the songs seem almost like a rock-opera. While Havok’s voice could totally handle opera, I feel the only band really capable of the rock-opera is Manowar. And they are lacking from this equation.

I’ve heard myriad people mention how much this album tickles them because it goes back to AFI’s “old sound”, which doesn’t make sense to me, because this sounds nothing like Cereal Wars. Even if they’re talking about Sing the Sorrow “old”, I don’t see it.

For a vast majority of the tracks, the music feels weak to me. While the lyrics may have been questionable in decemberunderground, I felt the music was well thought out. On Crash Love, however, the music feels almost generic to me. If I heard it without any vocals, I would have no idea what band was responsible for it.

Admittedly I am no musician, I am merely a music lover, and I have no way of telling whether music is easy or hard to play. However, regardless of ease, I felt the music of decemberunderground to be more engaging, and while the lyrics where perhaps weak, their presentation was pleasing to my ear.

Regardless, the first couple tracks confuse me. There are parts of the songs I love, but other parts that irk me. The chorus from Beautiful Thieves, for example, I find fabulous. The beginning of End Transmission does nothing for me, but the rest of the song sucks me in. I just flat out don’t like Medicate, but parts of I Am Trying Very Hard to Be Here pull me in while other parts push me away.

Sacrilege is the first song on the album that kind of reminds me of any old AFI. I do like it. the back-up vocals, the contrast between chorus and verse, and music that seems leveled, varied and well paired. I like the tempo in Havok’s singing too. The bridge bothers me a little, but very few bridges don’t. I’m biased against them. (The exception being Regina Spektor’s perfect bridge in Dance Song of the 80’s).

Darling, I Want to Destroy You annoys the hell out of me, and Cold Hands bothers me greatly at parts, but entertains me in others.

The whole album leaves me feeling rather bi-polar. And I’m just going to skip most of the extended tracks, because I am one of the few music junkies that doesn’t put much stock in demos, previously unreleased tracks, or otherwise. I generally feel there is a reason songs get left behind…

Fainting Spells, however, I feel has a lot of potential. I almost feel some Nine Inch Nails influence, but I find the intro lacking enough that it took me a long time to notice that what followed it was worth listening to. One of the strongest songs on the album, though, even though it isn’t on the normal album.

What to take away?

Crash Love leaves a very “meh” taste in my mouth. I don’t vehemently hate it, but for the most part i find it either boring and/or easily forgotten. Some songs have great aspects, but overall i feel the album is lacking a reasonable number of stand alone great songs.

What to Expect?

Music that doesn’t quite get at you the way, say, Black Sails in the Sunset does. But what can I say, so far I think they peaked with BSitS.

What to Pair it With?

A poorly mixed Long Island Iced Tea. All the elements for awesome are here, and if they were in proper proportion, I’m sure it would be intoxicating. As is, however, I’m not particularly impressed.

Favorite Song?

I think it’s gotta be Sacrilege. It just gives me hope for the future of AFI, despite the rest of the album. Next time around, they just have to get it right.