Twisted Tongues

Unfortunately I can't get in to see the chiropractor until Tuesday so for the past 4 days I've been unable to move properly. The pain is not insignificant but I can deal with it, it's the inability to get up and moving and do my stuff that's driving me batshit. I don't do sedentary. Today I succumbed to actual self-pitying wallowing, pathetic, very off brand. But here I am. I do finally feel o.k. enough to sit in a chair and type and I think tomorrow should see a marked improvement in mobility. I hope. Because I don't do sedentary. I've been going for mile long walks each day which sounds o.k. except they're very slow, gimpy affairs that are hopefully helping with mobility without causing downstream injury from walking funny. I did a bit of weight lifting the past 2 days, very short sessions with only a couple few exercises that didn't seem to involve my lower back. Today I couldn't even bring myself to do those.

But a bit of goodness came yesterday. AFI dropped two new singles which answered my questions of is the band still together and are they still making music. They're both really good and different from each other. So happy to have more new good music.

Twisted Tongues

Twisted Tongues is my favorite of the two, 80's post punk meets 2021. At first blush I was happy to see Davey Havok's lyrics had finally strayed from his all too common themes (obsessions?) of heartbreak and betrayal. And then in an interview he claimed the song was about heartbreak and betrayal. "The dreaminess of the music lyrically inspired themes of unforeseen severance. It is a pining song of being set adrift by those who once feigned to share the same anchors."  In plainer words, one of his straight edge friends must have started drinking or someone finally had to give up veganism or something. I guess.  I love the alliteration in the lyrics. The world needs more alliteration. 

In any case, I love the song, the music is moody, dark and powerful-synths, reverb, bestill my heart-and the vocals are fantastic. On his last couple few albums he was singing in a halting, staccato type fashion that I didn't care for mixed in with the singing but now he's back to pure singing. I can't believe his voice has held up for 30 years, especially given the abuse from the screaming and high pitched vocals in the earlier days. Amazing. And the drums! Holy cats.

Escape From Los Angeles

This one is more New Wave-y and I like it as well. The vocal melody is really interesting and seems a departure from his typical stuff. I love to see bands staying innovative and trying new things. New isn't always good but in this case it's working for them. I'm not sure why he chose such a cliche of a theme for the song but I guess in light of all the people fleeing L.A., high profile and otherwise, it's timely. I fully understand the sentiment, if I lived in L.A. I'd want to escape. I can't even imagine.

Neither song has the big lush, powerful, anthemic choruses. We'll see if they appear in the other yet to be released tracks. For now I'm trying not to play these a zillion times until I'm sick of them. So far I'm failing because I've been stuck inside on the couch but hopefully tomorrow will bring some mobility and I can get up and at 'em.

On a completely unrelated side note, am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?

 

It looks like Davey Havok (2nd from right) has tattooed both arms totally black. I can't even begin to fathom how painful that must have been and how long that must have taken. I think I'll stop whining about my back pain right about now. And the fact that he's rocking my 1985 hair style better than I ever did.

Coming this Monday - Fun With Cows.