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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Davey and Jade successfully bring their signature anthemic stylings to electronic music, August 15, 2007
Under the stand alone banner of "Blaqk Audio" the main creative force behind AFI decide to finally tackle the electronic pop and dance influences that have become increasingly apparent and dominant in their signature outfit. However this is anything but a tongue in cheek tribute album to their favotite retro bands, nor is it a goofy imitation of them. With "Cexcells," Davey and Jade in fact seem to be searching for their own voice in a somewhat alien medium. Simliarities to AFI are inevitable with Davey bringing a familiar tragic urgency to his vocals and mysterious lyrics while Jade's song compositions are once again aimed toward the anthemic with faint melancholy always lingering beneath the surface. While many of the songs have dance elements, they come across more as personal anthems to sing alone in your bedroom than songs to shake your booty to at a club.
Musically the album features the all to familiar sounds of electronic music: pulsing electric melodies, upbeat drum machines, snyth washed guitar ...etc. However, Jade manages to find some character in the cliche with weeping piano melodies and fresh dramatic arrangements. He doesn't reivent the genre or anything drastic but he does manage to create an effective emotional backdrop for the album's most crucial element, the unique vocal stylings of Davey Havok. Exploring his natural lower register more than ever before, Davey's performances ooze undersated sexuality and mature longing while still containing the energetic spark of his punk background. The aggression of AFI is gone but his ability to make a chorus as goofy as "Strip for me as I strip for you" sound like a spiritual call to arms is nothing short of remarkable; new wave or even most electric goth never sounded this convincingly urgent and flat out important.
Sadly, the album does have the unmistkable aura of well...a side project. While "CexCells" does indeed feel like an exhausting labor of love, the overall experience and accomplished epic scope of the last several AFI releases is noticably absent. This is very much a song orientated singles album that sadly comes off as being a tad top heavy with the boys possibly showing all their cards too soon; though the "b-side" is worthwhile there are no more surprises. Highlights include the somewhat raunchy grind of the single "Stiff Kittens," the harsh industrial touches of the dynamic shifting "Between Breaths," the uplifting dance/goth anthem "Snuff on Digital," the quietly desperate romance of "Fear of Being Found," and finally the climatic new wave powerhouse "Cities by Night."
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14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Blaqk Audio, September 1, 2007
I think like most AFI fans I have been eagerly awaiting this record since Davey and Jade announced it back after the release of "Sing the Sorrow", and also, like a lot of AFI fans, I was beginning to wonder if it would ever actually materialize after around, oh, the third year since the announcement of this groups inception with no music heard (with the exception of "37mm" from "decemberunderground", which gives you a pretty good point of reference for what you're going to get here). But when I saw that the song "Bitter For Sweet" was up on their MySpace page, I immediatley went and listened to it and became even more excited to hear the album.
So after three years of anticipation does this record live up to the anticipation? Well, yes and no.
"CexCells", the debut from Davey and Jade's side project Blaqk Audio, is a fully competent and at times exciting electronic album that bridges (the none to sizeable gap) between VNV Nation and "Black Celebration"-era Depeche Mode. Jade handles the production and the instrumentation while Davey takes care of the vocals and lyrics.
Jade has done a fine job with the music, layering keyboards and atmospherics excellently, all complimented by well programmed beats. Davey lowers his vocal register and loses most of his emotional balance that he showcases on AFI records to compliment Jade's programming to give the record an interesting, detached feel throughout.
But two problems come up when listening to "CexCells". One, the production that Jade gives to the songs can occasionally suffocate the songs and give them a sort of same sounding vibe after all (this is a problem with many electronic albums, however.) Also, occasionally, Blaqk Audio focus and leans a little too much on mood songs rather than creating memorable melodies. A few songs stand out--- the aforementioned "Bitter For Sweet", "Stiff Kittens", "Between Breaths", "On A Friday" and "Again, Again and Again" most notably--- but most of the rest just fade into each other. And though this allows for the record to have a continueus flow, it does make it a little monotonous at times.
But "CexCells" is a debut, and like all the best debuts, the potential to be great is there. And unlike most side projects, Blaqk Audio neither lean to heavily on their day job nor run completly away from what makes the main band great. AFI fans and fans of electronic music should eat up "CexCells" and purchase it immediatley. But it isn't flawless.
But it does make me anticpate the next Blaqk Audio record as much as the next AFI record.
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14 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
AFI members' electronic side project doesn't disappoint..., August 17, 2007
First off, if you like AFI at all, this is a must own. The songs are just as well written as the stuff on the AFI album "decemberunderground". In fact, the song "37mm" off of that album was originally a Blaqk Audio song that became an AFI song. So if you like that song in particular, you will love Blaqk Audio. Blaqk Audio is Davey Havok and Jade Puget of AFI. The music on "CexCells" is almost entirely electronic. You would think that a side project would lack the quality and heart of the artists main project, but that's not the case here at all. This is actually one of the strongest electronic releases i've heard so far this year. The music is similar to Depeche Mode or early Nine Inch Nails but you can definitely hear the AFI twist mixed into it all. So far my favorites have to be "Stiff Kittens" and "Between Breaths". If you're into AFI or the electronic goth sound, you won't be disappointed. This album combines the two successfully. Just don't buy this thinking that you're going to get songs that sound just like AFI. If you're not into dark electronic music like Depeche Mode, VNV Nation, and Pretty Hate Machine-era Nine Inch Nails, then this may not be your cup of tea.
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