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.

It seems lately that I’ve been filling in the gaps. Bands or musicians who tickled me pink in the past, well, I felt the need to go make sure I had everything they had to offer.

This may have not been the best of ideas.

The most recent gap filled is in the catalog of Jenny Lewis.

My affair with Jenny Lewis started poorly. Namely, “Does he love you?” was on a mix CD a friend made for me. I thought it was boring. I then categorized both Rilo Kiley and Jenny Lewis as “Boring”.

Many years later i finally decided to try out some Rilo Kiley. This was during my study abroad in Denmark, and now Rilo Kiley is my personal soundtrack to Denmark. That translates to Rilo Kiley seriously stealing my soul for those 4.5 months.

I moved on to Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins‘ “Rabbit Furcoat“. And it was good. Amazingly good. If someone would have described that album to me prior to my listening to it, I would have been skeptical at best. Jenny Lewis, mostly acoustic music, singing folk/alt-country songs, with twin gospel harmonists accompanying?

I’m glad I didn’t get the opportunity to become skeptical.

So next on my acquisition list was Jenny Lewis’ “Acid Tongue“. I was expecting the same as “Rabbit Furcoat”.

It’s not the same. It’s not even close.

I mean, it’s not terrible. It doesn’t leave me wishing for unconsciousness. But it’s not good either. The music is overly simple, and so is the singing. The lyrics don’t strike me as particularly powerful, witty, or interesting. There is no hook at all. It’s like tepid water.

I find the first two songs without much merit at all. I often have a hard time sleeping with music on because I find myself more interested in the music than sleeping. The first two songs would not interrupt my sleep at all (a bad sign).

“The Next Messiah” picks up the tempo a bit. Electric guitar and a steady drum beat come into play. Jenny Lewis’ vocals are more energetic than in the first two songs…but the whole song still feels uninspired to me. Something doesn’t mesh quite right, and I would describe the song as more or less boring, despite the upped tempo.

The middle and title track “Acid Tongue” reminds me the most of “Rabbit Furcoat”. Great harmonies. Sincere vocals. simple, well done acoustic instrumentation. For me, this is the most stand out track on the album.

“See Fernando” is a good follow up. It’s higher energy. The music and the vocals mesh well. And the song effectively makes me want to go see Fernando.

“Carpetbagger” is an okay song. 7.5 out of 10, if you will.

The rest of the album is of no interest to me.

What to take away?

Acid Tongue is less inspired than Rabbit Furcoat. I generally find it boring.

What to expect?

Watered down Jenny Lewis, falling short of her best.

What drink to pair it with?

Lukewarm watered down tea.