AFI Somewhere in an office high above the city, in the dark corner of a record CEO’s mind, I am hoping a light has gone on. In an industry that everyday seems to be transforming symphonies into sound bites and performers into packaging, fan-centric bands like Pearl Jam, Tool, and The Red Hot Chili Peppers are proving they can still dominate the top spots on the Billboard charts. Acts with careers spanning 15 years instead of 15 minutes….and they said artist development was dead. We can now add AFI to this list. Their seventh full-length album Decemberunderground has become their first ever #1, propelled by the inexhaustible single “Miss Murder.” The band was honored by MySpace after their song, which feels like a mash-up of Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus” and Green Day’s “Holiday,” received over half a million plays in a single day. Don’t be fooled, however; this is not the AFI we once knew. They stumbled onto something with 2003’s Sing the Sorrow and have refined it into a sound that would send most hardcore fans running, if it weren’t so completely irresistible. The album opens with the haunting bells of “Prelude 12/21,” an intro that sounds as if it should accompany the opening credits of a Tim Burton flick. It’s a bit over the top, but at 1:30 does not last long enough to wear out its welcome. The mood shifts quickly into “Kill Caustic,” as screams erupt out of the speakers, challenging the bands new direction, and making me grateful to hear the opening bass riff of “Miss Murder.” Building on their momentum, “Summer Shudder” (which should have been the next single) is anthemic. These two songs back to back are a dangerous combination, and really show off the quality of the production. It sounds good when you crank it, so I crank it till the traffic stares. “Love Like Winter” conjures images of blood, war, and vampires underscored with fashionable synthesizers. For an album with such dark themes, most of them are set off by upbeat hooks. Skimming past another track for the more hardcore set, we reach the second single (not my first choice) “The Missing Frame.” It’s radio ready, and even easier on the ears than “Miss Murder.” I can hear this at KISS stations across the country. Ironically, the bleaker the lyrics - ‘One at a time suicides are revealed/You will see that I lost another life/But Tonight/I’ll let you tear it up’- the more Top 40 the music. Though don’t expect to hear it covered on American Idol. Moving through the album, there are darker and more down-tempo tracks like “Kiss And Control,” which in the context of this record, could be considered a ballad complete with tortured spoken word, and “Killing Time,” which contains the away-message lyric “Am I Beautiful? Am I Useable?” Making sure they hit all the bases, “ 37mm” is a new wave mope complete with drum tracks. AFI make good use of programmed elements throughout the record. They conclude with “Endlessly, She Said,” which better characterizes their standard sound. The record may not represent an artistic revolution, but its place at #1 is helping to urge on a commercial one. It’s satisfyingly entertaining. So go ahead and sing along, no one is looking. Well, except the guy at the red light next to you. Here’s hoping he’s a CEO. – Stephanie Jacobson Tracks to download: “Miss Murder,” “Summer Shudder,” and “Love Like Winter”
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