EastScene

Ever felt as if you’ve stepped into a time machine? As if you’ve been brought back to the memories of what the way it used to be?  A simple image, smell or sound can make you remember and feel the way you did that one summer night back in the old days.  Davey Havok, Jade Puget, Hunter Burgan and Adam Carson, together known as AFI, have created just that. They’ve released their most confident album yet, titled Crash Love, the first since their last record Decemberunderground was released in 2006.

Light, dark, sorrow, happiness, love, heartbreak, are all shared in Davey Havok’s words. Starting off the record with “Torch Song”, which I thought was a brilliant track for an intro to a record, carries a catchy chorus, and the classic heart throbbing lyrics, which is no surprise when talking about AFI: “I’d tear out my eyes for you, my dear/anything to see everything that you do”. The next song that grabbed my attention was “I Am Trying Very Hard To Be Here”, bringing back hints of the band’s former selves, with an original southern rock feel brought to the record. Though, once you listen to “Okay, I Feel Better Now”, starting off with a calm build-up, then breaking in the alluring and mesmerizing chorus, you realize this is may just be the best of the record.

Being their 8^th studio album with new producers, Crash Love has a neat, tight presentation. In other words, they played it rather safe. Tracks like “Too Shy to Scream”, “Veronica Sawyer Smokes” and “Medicate” prove that point, with a radio-friendly commercial feel. They may be taking the risk of losing the original AFI, and turning into what is more acceptable in today’s popular music society, but we won’t know if they will follow this direction until the next record is produced. That being said, this risk may turn away former AFI fans, and may also bring along new ones.

Although this record is a blast from the past since the band was formed back in 1991, it is a lot different than Decemberunderground and Sing The Sorrow. Then again, if you are a die-hard AFI fan, you would know change is evident, having noticed they have the ability to make every album carry a different flavour, which you don’t find in many bands nowadays.

Overall, Crash Love does have its standout moments, but is played safely. Despite the fact that a few of the tracks have created a good record rather than an incredible one, it still has the ability to not play predictable. Crash Love is the ideal of a deep guitar-driven radio “hit”, which in the end may fit AFI nicely. Once the 9^th studio album comes along, I personally would like to see them carry on the positive direction they brought in this album, but also bring back the former AFI style. All we can do now is wait and see what they have in store for us next.

Rating: 6/10

AFI is:

Davey Havok – lead vocals

Jade Puget – guitars

Hunter Burgan – bass

Adam Carson – drums

Best Tracks?  “Okay, I Feel Better Now”, “Torch Song” and “I’m Trying Very Hard To Be Here”