Written By: Robert Latham
A word of warning for anyone, like this writer, who has been in a musical time warp when it comes to AFI. If the last thing you knew of them was remembering them as hardcore punk rockers in the mid-90s then you’re in for a mighty shock, with the California rockers now adopting a more emo approach to their music.
But if the tag of emo instantly puts you off don’t let it as Crash Love, the band’s eighth studio album, successfully retains the band’s rocky edge and emerges as a culmination of their past offerings, ending up as a perfectly-rounded rock album mixing their punk rock rhythm and hardcore emo tendencies in one big sound.
Evidence of this is the hugely enjoyable “Where We Used To Play,” for some reason left until the penultimate track of the record, a classic singalong, air guitar-inducing rock anthem.
Another major highlight is “Fainting Spells,” which begins slowly with emo-esque crying lyrics before launching into a huge screaming chorus, repeating both before diving into a lively rock guitar solo which sets up an energetic outro to the track.
AFI have successfully managed to fuse their emo-punk tendencies with big rock sound as demonstrated in “Beautiful Thieves,” a big sweeping rock tune that slides between funky high-octane guitar riffs and jangling, edgy verses combined with a big singalong rock chorus.
The band’s emo yearnings are still very much prevalent as evidenced in laboriously predictable mid-album tracks “Too Shy To Scream,” “Veronica Sawyer Smokes” and “Okay, I Feel Better Now.”
But all this is forgotten as the album launches into “Medicate,” a big ripping rocky anthem with huge hooky guitar riffs and shouty choruses topped off by a ripping guitar solo.
The album also signs off in style with “100 Words,” a song which typifies everything AFI have achieved in Crash Love, a pop-punk singalong thanks to lead-man Davey Havok‘s whiny vocals crossed with big rock power chords, singalong choruses and finished off with a floaty guitar solo.
AFI have achieved things many band’s can only dream of, uniting the genres of rock, emo and punk music with a record that will please fans of all three for different reasons. While it is easy to write the band off for tending towards mainstream emo this record is a perfect retort – an energetic, enjoyable rock offering.
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