Art Of Drowning, The - AFI > Reviews > You'll fall in love with this album

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	Flawless
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Outstanding
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	Inventive lyrics, powerful sounds
Disadvantages:	None, except no lyrics for the hidden track

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

SUMMARY
This fifth album is possibly the defining moment of AFI's career. They've shown that abstract, poetic lyrics CAN be combined with powerful choruses and AFI-trademark chords plus crashing cymbals.
If you're buying this as a surprise present for an 'AFI fan', I suggest you check that they haven't already got it, as most people's love for the band is born out of hearing this album [the CD prior to this - Black Sails In the Sunset - and the CD following it - Sing the Sorrow - could be great gift alternatives].
Although AFI are often dismissed as 'not punk', the range of topics covered on this album - love, drugs, violence, politics, human nature and despair to name just a few - and its original, unique sound pretty much prove that wrong.

KEY TRACKS:

Well, all of them.
You'll probably recognise Track 9, 'Days of the Phoenix', from when it was released and got some airtime on radio. There are no weak tracks; your favourite[s] will depend on your taste but I doubt that an AFI fan would dislike any of them.
The album is energetic and fast-paced as a whole - although there a few slower songs such as the acoustic ballad 'Morning Star' - but it's not a stereotypical, frenzied punk album that finishes after about ten minutes; it's long enough to satisfy and feel like a worthwhile listening experience. Some songs have a rawer feel to them than others due to speed, volume and shouting, such as 'Catch A Hot One' and 'Smile', which are probably the two most 'punk' tracks on Art of Drowning.

EXPLICIT?
If you're wondering whether to buy this for a young fan, you don't need to worry about swearing, as there is none…and although the range of topics mentioned above might sound a bit scary, they're mostly dealt with in metaphor and imagery.
Completely suitable for kids 14 and over, and basically ok for anyone younger as well.

EXAMPLE OF LYRICS

"If you feel fine/Give it just a little time/I'm sure you'll contract my disease" - The Lost Souls

"I'll set the world on fire/And in the burning light/I'll write my first love song/And I will feel warmth"
- Catch A Hot One

"Along the path where the stream is talking/I breathe the mist and continue walking/The wood it whispers in a language of its own"
- The Despair Factor

"I saw a star beneath the stairs/Glowing right before descent/And in the morning there is nothing left/Of what's inside of me"
- Morning Star

TRIVIA

'The Despair Factor' contains the spoken lyrics - "my whole life is a dark room...one big dark room" - which is a line orignally uttered by Winona Ryder in Beetlejuice.

Enjoy.