Christmas came early to some this year as AFI have released their latest EP The Missing Man. After releasing a bit of a flop with 2017’s the The Blood Album, which saw the band attempt to get “back to the basics” only to go in a completely different direction. The songs felt rushed, there was no consistency as track after track changed and morphed into something that was hoping to please everyone. The Missing Man, a title that is aptly fitting, serves as a true refocusing album. AFI have made a career off of being “different” and blending genres in their favor, and I think that this shorter track list gives them the freedom to do so within respectable boundaries. Listening to this album brought back memories of when I first heard AFI on Sing the Sorrow.
Lead track, Trash Bat brings back the pounding drums and baseline that AFI has been perfecting since the early mid-90’s and mixes it with the emotive voice of Davey Havok, pulling our hearts out of our ears along the way. The song relies on a punk style baseline with layered guitar work that explodes into a pretty catchy chorus. Break Angels serves as a wonderful showcase of drummer Adam Carson’s work which partners with a groovy baseline that allows there to be a build up of power that flows through the chorus as we get the group-style vocals that AFI have been using to their advantage across their almost 30 year long career. Back Into the Sun is one of my favorite songs off of the album mainly because it slows things down a bit and hearkens back to the early 2000’s alternative rock that I was not allowed to listen to growing up and then listened to religiously once I had the chance. The guitar work of guitarist and producer Jade Puget is simply amazing here as the layered guitar is at the forefront with a solo sure to make you hit rewind. Get Dark is the initial fan-favorite and I can see why as it reminds me a lot of their most well known Miss Murder. The guitar buzzes across the song while the base follows along, almost lurking right below the surface. While the previous solo was more nostalgic, this one is definitely a showing off of some pretty great skills that have not dulled over the years. Lastly, The Missing Man starts off with acoustic guitar and string elements strewn across guitar riffs in a relieving reminder that the band are not venturing far from their emo roots anytime soon. The vocal style is extremely pensive and introspective with Havok relying on his falsetto towards the end that pairs amazingly with the acoustic strings.One of my favorite aspects of AFI has been their lyrics and vocals. Davey Havok has done such a good job of creating songs where his lyrics are like poems in that they employ a brevity that is able to possess a melancholy that is all too familiar.
The Missing Man is exactly what AFI needed to follow up their less than successful previous release. It’s not an album that is breaking down any walls or one that is redefining the band or any certain genre. It is, however, an album that gives them a solid footing to prevent a free fall. It has all the elements that make them such a great band on full display. Do yourself a huge favor and take 15 minutes out of your day to listen to this EP. You won’t regret it.
Top Three Songs: Get Dark, Back Into the Sun, The Missing Man
New Music with Brady 