QUICK REVIEW: AFI – The Missing Man

Howdy ladies and gents, it seems like I’m always coming back to this blog every once in a while, and that’s obviously no good for people who which to get consistent material from me and for that I apologize. However, I’m back to talk about some music and today I’ll be discussing AFI’s EP from 2018; The Missing Man.

After I heard “Get Dark” and reviewed it, I was hyped to hear more AFI and I bought the EP and listened to it a few times. I even had a review I was drafted in mid-December of 2018. However, I just never got around to writing it up due to my work shifts during Christmas and after personal activities that kept me busy. But I have always wanted to share my thoughts on this EP and now that I’m listening to music a lot more I have thoughts that I want to share so here we are.

Now The Missing Man feels like a continuation of the sound AFI has been delivering since Burials and AFI (The Blood Album) with a balance of songs that rock hard, some more moody material and more melodic material. How much you enjoy this EP will depend on what era/sound you like from AFI. Anyone hoping for the crazier sounds of the past will be disappointed, this is definitely more in line with their recent work and feels like a combination of their last two albums sound. I personally love Burials safe for a couple of songs, while AFI (The Blood Album) only had a handful of songs I liked (I will discuss that album in the future). With only 5 tracks this EP is over by pretty swiftly but there’s something special about this sound that’ll make you want to go back for more.

The EP opens with “Trash Bat” and it’s great. Its loud, upbeat, in your face and has the exact kind of sound I like from this band. I love the chorus with the sound of the guitars alongside Davey Havok and the backing vocals. It’s over pretty quickly but has such an addictive sound that makes you want to hit the repeat button. “Break Angels” feels like it could have been on Burials, and I like it but mainly for the chorus. “Back Into The Sun” is a slower-paced song which at first I wasn’t sure about, but after a while, it really grew on me because of the chorus and heavy guitars. Next up is “Get Dark“, simply put I love this song. It’s super fun, loud, catchy, swift in pace and has a catchy as hell chorus. This was the oomph that their last album was missing. And finally, there’s the title track “The Missing Man” and it’s my least my favourite song on the EP. It starts out well and I do like the overall moody tone and there’s a bit in the middle that sounds good, but overall it doesn’t grab me. It lacks something distinctive as the final track.

Best Songs:

1. Get Dark
2. Trash Bat
3. Back Into The Sun

So to conclude The Missing Man is solid EP from AFI, it’s familiar yet different and if you’re open to hearing new sounds from the band then I think you’ll enjoy it. It’s a short yet fun experience and it definitely resonates with me more than their last album. So have you heard this EP and if so what did you think of it? Drop your thoughts in the comment section below and I’ll see you next time, laters! 😀

 

The Good Sounds of SG Lewis

Howdy ladies and gents, its been a while since I’ve posted on this blog that wasn’t film-related. But since I’ve been on lockdown for just over a month and won’t be flying back home any time soon, I’ve had a lot of time to think and I’ve wanted to start writing about music again. So I wanted to start by talking about one of my favourite artists I’ve found in the last few years; SG Lewis.

My Discovery & Journey

So I discovered SG Lewis while I worked at the airport in my home town 4 years ago. His song “All Night” was on the radio and it caught me ear, so I put some of the lyrics on my phone and then found the song online. I became obsessed with the song for months. Then later that year I bought his EP Yours and found new songs to jam to and in 2017 I found Shivers which was also a nice listening experience. In 2018 I heard Dusk and that was my favourite EP so far with its gorgeous sounds and I was in love especially with the song “Aura“. And in 2019 I heard both Dark and Dawn and they were awesome as they had that familiar gorgeous sound but had progressed in new and exciting ways. And on top of that, I got to see him live TWICE! Once at ONBlackheath music festival in London and then around 4 months later at Fortune Sound Club in Vancouver. Both experiences were such awesome sessions, but the Vancouver show as extra special as I got to meet him in person which was just amazing!

Why His Music Is So Good

So I’ve given you a condensed version of how I found Lewis’ music and my listening experience so far. But now its time to tell you I believe his music is so good. Now, as I’ve stated on previous music-related blog posts I am no music aficionado, though I try to do my best to communicate my points through sound and feeling. So SG Lewis’ music in the broadest of terms is essentially electronic, but because of the variety in his music, you can get vibes of R&B, disco, house and the 80’s feeling with the use of synth. Lewis’ music has an immediate effect on your ears because it’s so infectious. Once you hear that beat or specific melody it has a way of getting into your head and then you just want to hit the repeat button. Also, the songs never outstay their welcome, they’re always just long enough to leave you wanting more. And one of the key things that make his music so accessible for me is how he has a song for any situation. Whether you’re chilling and vibing to the sounds of “No Less“, “Golden” or “Rest” or you want to dance to the sounds of “Aura“, “Hurting” or “Coming Up“, there is always a song to suit your mood. And then there’s hearing his songs live which adds a new dimension to the songs because of the live vocals, improvisation, extra bass from the speakers and joy you feel from being able to dance with likeminded individuals. There’s nothing quite like it.

Recommendations

So it comes to recommendations and this is where it gets tricky as I would say just listen to everything in chronological order as you’ll enjoy the ride and see Lewis’ progression as an artist. But if I had to narrow it down I would say it would be down to the following EPs: Yours, Shivers and Dusk. Each of those has my favourite listening experience from start to finish with Dusk being the best in my opinion. It’s just something special, you just vibe with it on another level, its instantly replayable, and again it has to be stated how good “Aura” is, it is a perfect jam for dancing.

Now from the EPs to specific tracks and while it’s hard to narrow it down, the following 10 songs are my favourites that I believe are essential and you should listen to right now. Check them out below:

1. Aura
2. Dreaming
3. Lighter
4. All Night
5. Holding Back
6. Yours
7. Hurting
8. Meant to Be
9. No Less
10. Coming Up

And that’s it, I hope my words and examples have spurred you on to check out some of SG Lewis’ music as he really is one of the best artists out there that deserve more love. If you’re a new or an established fan of Lewis, let me know what which song are your favourites in the comment section below. Thank you for reading and I’ll see you in the next post, laters! 😀