anvrill's Full Review: Answer That and Stay Fashionable by AFI
"Four complete idiots.
The perfect crime.
What could possibly go wrong?"
I approached this album in absolute mortal terror.
I know, isn't that a great line to open with?
I listen to approximately every genre out there, but my two greatest interests lie in the goth/industrial arena and in the short but sweet realm of punk. Having started with AFI on their latest album, Sing the Sorrow, I'm used to Davey Havok wailing about lives gone wrong, and I was okay to move backwards through all the albums as he got a little more punk every time...
But then I opened the booklet to Answer That and Stay Fashionable, and I read the lyrics. Davey only wrote the lyrics for seven of the songs, and co-wrote them for three. Geoff writes the rest, except one track credited to Toucan Sam, and the cover, Open Your Eyes. I suppose we just shouldn't ask about the Toucan Sam thing.
Before putting the CD into my stereo, I was still feeling slightly miffed that Geoff Kresge dare play bass instead of Hunter, and I was worried that it would bring about an ill reaction to this album in general.
Of course, I shouldn't have underestimated my newly forged obsession with this band.
Initial impressions? I'm reminded strongly of The Cure in their early days; you know, Three Imaginary Boys/Boys Don't Cry. The music is faster, but there's the same air of youth trying so hard to be smarter and edgier than they probably were. And Havok's voice, when it hits notes it shouldn't be hitting, sounds so much like Robert Smith's (lead of Cure), it's amazing.
That's a long way away from him sounding like David Usher (lead of Moist) on his latest album.
As should be expected with punk, with is often a three-chord and sometimes two-chord wonder, many of the songs sound similar, but a trained ear can pick them out easily. It doesn't take much time to learn, considering they are mostly under two minute songs...
I'm guessing AFI were blessed with the label "East Bay Hardcore" when they were still just putting out little vinyls with a couple of songs on them, because they remain fairly melodic through their entire discography; in fact, Answer That and Stay Fashionable is more melodic than the later album, Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes.
Stand-out tracks: Two of a Kind, I Wanna Mohawk (But Mom Won't Let me Get One), Brownie Bottom Sundae, Cereal Wars, and Kung-Fu Devil.
Two of a Kind is a song repeated on Very Proud of Ya. It opens this album. Lyrics by Davey. Most likely about a stalker (which would match it thematically to Very Proud of Ya, which is probably why it found its way there). Perfect song to blast in the fact of stalker-obsessed exes, I must say, and on its own level...intensely cute.
I Wanna Mohawk is a farcical song. A very self-aware song. "I may be ten years old, but I still know what's up." Hm. About a little kid so hardcore, he wears shirts for The Misfits and The Cramps, wants to go out late and watch shows, and get himself a mohawk...but of course, his mom isn't up for that. I can't help but laughing every time I hear it. Especially since the example bands of Misfits and Cramps are both horror-rock, not punk... In fact, The Cramps are credited as being the first in a genre now known as "gothabilly". A very, very terrifying genre, I must say.
Brownie Bottom Sundae is a song that took almost the entire band to make. Davey gave it lyrics, Geoff gave it music, and Adam gave it the title. Um, good job, Adam? Despite the odd title, this is probably Davey's first foray into gothic lyrics. "Into the dark is where you want to watch me bleed." And there's even--gasp!--a guitar solo at the end of it.
Cereal Wars opens with slow guitar, like it's about to go into an 80s hair metal ballad. Then a quick bassline takes it over, and you know you really are listening to AFI. Davey growls through this song like a baby tiger. The lyrics were written by the illustrious "Toucan Sam", and you have to wonder quite what they were on... But it's intensely cute, and mildly addictive. The entire thing's worth it for the ending line: "Do I look like an effin' squirrel to you?"
No, Davey, no you don't.
Perhaps I should mention that Mark wrote the music for that last song, and the only other one he wrote it for is Kung-Fu Devil. (He also did a re-working of a tune on Ny-Quil.) Kung-Fu Devil is about the struggle to remain straight-edge. I know I myself dropped it after a few years, and will let myself get wasted once or twice a year. The lyrics talk about how discpline can become an addiction in the stead of substance, and how difficult it is to fight with yourself for so long.
So bravo, Davey, for still being straight edge almost a decade later.
Perhaps I should mention in passing High School Football Hero. The only song that really bothers me, with lyrics and music written by Geoff. It seems too brazen; kids who get picked on in highschool shouldn't turn around and start generalizing about people outside their own social group, so Geoff assumptions that all high school football heroes want to "drink [their] weight in beer-o" is just...a little problematic for me. And, as just shown, the lyrics are somewhat lacking.
This album contains a few samples from movies and television. European Vacation, Reservoir Dogs, and Bad News. Reservoir Dogs would be expected, as the packaging of the album is based on that movie, with the boys done up in suits, ties and sunglasses.
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