Jiordan Castle
The eighth album by California’s AFI should bring fans new and old together for the first time since 2003, when the band released their sixth album, Sing the Sorrow. These four men have perfected the balance between alternative rock and something smoother, more polished, and brought it to this season’s lineup. It’s been said that Crash Love went in the direction that Decemberunderground (the band’s seventh album) should have gone. I can’t quite agree with that though, as it’s that exact album that made me a fan. But with that being said, I do believe that the latest album has filled in any gaps that might have been there. The latest album is a huge departure from the band’s older recordings.
It’s been three long years since I last saw AFI perform live in New York. So when I initially heard the first fragments of “Medicate” (the first single off of the new album) I was hooked. It was hot, heavy, and just raw enough to keep me waiting with bated breath for September 29th, when Crash Love was officially released. But I’d be lying if I said I really did all that waiting; the album leaked about a week before its official release. I fought the urge to give it a listen… and lost. I knew every word to every song before that Tuesday came. Even so, it was a new and different experience for me – having heard every other AFI song on the planet – when I found that the band I’d grown to adore so much felt personal again. There wasn’t a song on the album that didn’t feel relevant or real or human in some way or another. That’s a major feat in itself.
© Interscope Records // Photo Credit: James Minchin
The record sounds more like a soundtrack than any old album, in my opinion. There’s a story here, buried on shallow ground, which sweeps listeners off their feet and into a romantic chorus of love, loss, and everything that passes between the two. “It Was Mine” layers subtle beats and strong vocals to create an intensely emotional trend, while “Too Shy To Scream” combines a hard melody, a sort of singsong rhythm and a beautifully bittersweet tone. “I Am Trying Very Hard To Be Here” has the snarky wit, upbeat repetition and great energy of an AFI from years before. That also has something to do with the handful of lucky – and dedicated – fans responsible for the track’s backing vocals.
That’s what I mean when I say that AFI’s fan base has always been of the more personal variety. Not many bands lend their eyes and ears to their fans these days, at least not to this degree. And while it’s hard for me to choose a favorite song on the album, I think “Darling, I Want To Destroy You” comes closest to beating the rest. It’s articulate, it’s sharp and it’s definitely devastating. It sounds like your last break-up. It feels familiar and sad, but it hurts so well.
Like I said, AFI has recorded a soundtrack here. It’s not intended for a movie, but for the thoughts in your head. It’s almost uncanny. Listening to Crash Love is like toasting marshmallows with an old flame; it’s finding yourself on a swing set at dawn; it’s the awkward pause that comes after a last kiss. If you’re not already a fan, you will be. In just thirteen short tracks (not including a handful of fantastic bonus tracks) AFI has made a major stride in music today.
