Album: Blaqk Audio - CexCells
Davey Havok and Jade Puget, one half of AFI (and respectively the vocalist and guitarist of the band) have become increasingly influenced by electronic music over the years. This has been made evident on tracks such as The Last Kiss from Black Sails In The Sunset, Death Of Seasons on 2003 album Sing the Sorrow, and the dark and dramatic 37mm from AFI’s latest album Decemberunderground. It has been hinted at for a while now that they would like to delve further into this area of music, more so than they have before, and the result is Blaqk Audio, an electronic/dance side-project from Havok and Puget.
Despite the fact that the concept of Blaqk Audio began in 2002, it wasn’t until this year that anything actually materialised from the duo. The question was though, would the album be worth the wait?
The answer, quite simply, is yes. I must admit, CexCells didn’t immediately grab me, and it took a couple of listens before I 'got it', but now I can’t get those catchy synth-pop tunes out of my head. Of course, there were always going to be similarities between Blaqk Audio and AFI, with the most prominent being the striking vocals from Havok (which sound stronger than ever). Puget’s song structuring for Blaqk Audio doesn’t vary greatly from that of AFI, and in places the album can become a little predictable, but the songs are anthemic and atmospheric. The lyrical content is mainly of a sexual nature, and therefore is unlike anything we have seen from Havok in the past. Luckily, lines such as "Please, please, please don't take it easy on me. Just make it harder to breathe. So I'll climb on top and I'll never stop till I make you forget who you are" from Between Breaths (An XX Perspective) don’t sound anywhere near as cringe-worthy as you might expect.
Influences on the album include VNV Nation, and song titles as Wake Up, Open The Door And Escape To The Sea and On A Friday seem to allude to The Cure too. The standout tracks are Snuff On Digital and Semiotic Love; both tracks have beats that are strong enough to get even the most reluctant club-goers on the dance floor. Cities Of Night also deserves a mention, featuring some of the strongest lyrics on the album.
Verdict: Despite CexCells initially taking a few listens for it to grab me, this is a solid debut album, and stands out as more than just a side-project. It’s obvious that Havok and Puget have enjoyed creating the album, and after having reached number 18 on the US Billboard chart a week after its release, I’m certain this won’t be the last we hear from the 'two boys in love with synthesizers and software'.