A.F.I.

Artist: A.F.I.

Albums I Own: All Hallows EP (1999), The Art of Drowning (2000), Sing the Sorrow (2003), A.F.I. (Greatest Hits--Nitro years, 2004), December Underground (2006)

Hunted Album: Sing the Sorrow

A.F.I on Pandora

Since the primary aim of The Hunt is to discover music I might have forgotten about, starting with this album might not quite fit my mission. I listened this CD to death when it first came out and occasionally return to it.

However, I've never considered why I enjoy it so much. The Art of Drowning (2000) was my personal introduction to A.F.I., and it still holds a special place in my punk rock heart. It was the first time the group experimented with hooky choruses and vocals, but it only paved the way for what was to come. Sing the Sorrow is the album that secured regular radio rotation and put the band on the collective pop music map.

A Bit of History

A.F.I. spent 13 years as the flagship group for indie punk label Nitro Records, during which time they released five full-length albums and one EP.

In 2004, Sing the Sorrow became the California quintet's major label debut with Interscope Records (home to 50 Cent and Guns N' Roses) and quickly went platinum. They have since released two additional albums--Decemberunderground in 2006 and Crash Love in 2009--both of which left me (and many others) less than satisfied.

The Album

As their first release with Interscope, the band hadn't yet caved to the whims of producers and mainstream music blah-ness. The album maintains the manic punk sound of early releases, while benefiting from more polished vocals, a clear musical direction and fleshed-out instrumentals.

Sing the Sorrow also defined a clear structure the band used ineffectively in subsequent albums. But here, it seems fresh and careful rather than worn out. The album begins with a short prelude, "Miseria Cantare--The Beginning," that is heavy on strings, drum effects and layered vocals. Not quite punk menace, but it works.

To bring the album full circle, there is also an extended epilogue, "...But Home Is Nowhere," a 15-minute conglomerate of three songs:

The first is one of the finest songs on the disc--direct, powerful and badass. Never have lead singer Davey Havok's screams sounded so at home. The second (and longest) part is an ethereal collection of spoken verse, given by a child, a young man and an elderly man, respectively, set over simple piano. The final section sounds similar to the acoustic piece "The Leaving Song," but because it utilizes the full band, it feels more moody and robust.

Like a film, Sing the Sorrow is meant to be enjoyed from start to finish--no skipping around, no fast forward. That was the major advantage of the Interscope move: it resulted in a whole product, not just a collection of singles, and it's one reason why I believe the album is so great.

That being said, there are plenty of classic moments peppered throughout. The second track, "The Leaving Song, Pt. 2," begins with the best guitar hook on the album, and the music video hints at the changes the band was undergoing (tuxedo-clad band members set against a rioting, Molotov cocktail-wielding crowd).

Despite my hatred of most electro-music, the drum breakdown after the first chorus on "Death of Seasons" deserves multiple repeats, and "This Celluloid Dream" features distorted vocals and a catchy palm-muted chorus.

However, my favorite moment is pure, unadultered rock: guitarist Jade Puget's solo on "Dancing Through December." In a different vein than Dragonforce-esque solos-as-songs and technical masters such as Kirk Hammett, it is punk personified: messy, fast and satisfying, without any holier-than-thou showboating. In a little under 15 seconds, Puget manages to create not only a great solo, but a catchy one--no easy feat. I can hum it by memory.

There are only two major downsides to this album, both of which explain why the band has fallen from punk rock (and even popular) grace. First, the lyrics are borderline emo. On "The Great Disappointment," one of the weakest tracks (ironic title much?), Havok sings: "Hope was wasted away/Faith was wasted away/I was wasted away."

This could explain why A.F.I.'s fan base saw a large exodus after the release of Sing the Sorrow. Like pissed off caffeine junkies who can't even wait for the water to boil before getting the shakes, the punk faithful never gave the album time to percolate. After all, what happened to songs like "I Wanna Get a Mohawk?" A.F.I.'s angst was no longer fun; it was depressing.

But the second major problem was enough to eventually ruin the band for me as well. This album works because it finds a balance between the bands' punk roots and mainstream "wall of sound" producing. Unfortunately, with Decemberunderground, the band practically abandoned punk altogether and opted for electro-dance-pop. Think Panic! At the Disco (with the !), except A.F.I. had years of street cred at stake.

Bottom line, Sing the Sorrow was a historic album for the boys from Ukiah. For most of the punk faithful, it was the first bad (read: corporate) album by a previously great (read: indie) band. For me, however, it is still my favorite record by the group, and one of the most balanced punk albums I've ever heard.

All awful puns with their name aside (A.F.I. is short for "A Fire Inside"), I hope the band can put a fire under their collective asses and produce another album like this one.