Reviews

It's interesting that I had both American Steel and Blaqk Audio to review at the same time, because both are very similar albums. There is the obvious difference that American Steel made their return on Fat Wreck with a gritty punk album, and Blaqk Audio is an electronic side-project from two guys in AFI (one goth, the other with ridiculous sideburns) that everything in my punk gut tells me to hate. But considering them each in their own light shows Blaqk Audio's Cexcells to be just a bit more of a complete album.

Actually, the comparison of the albums is due to the major problems I found in both. Cexcells, like Destroy Their Future, suffers from a rather weak opening track, "Stiff Kittens," and lack of originality. It also has a level of inconsistency consistent with that of ...Future, though Cexcells' down-point comes smack in the middle of the album. Davey Havok's vocals are also not always spot-on, but this is rare, and sometimes the flow of the album is interrupted between tracks. Lyrics are kind of weak, too.

While this may sound like a great deal of flaws, they are all less important than they seem.

Not that I'm a connoisseur of electro, but none of its goals seem to be complete originality. Electro is, inherently, taking computer/synthesizer sounds and repeating them, a lot, while mixing it in such a way that's aesthetically pleasing. A passionate vocalist never hurts, either.

But honestly, do the lyrics ever really matter with electro. It's really a lot like Will Ferrell's response in Blades of Glory to the nonsensical lyrics of "Lady Humps" by Blackeyed Peas-"No one knows what it means, but it's provocative..." It's more about creating a feeling - usually sexual - and Blaqk Audio accomplishes that to great degrees.

And really, whatever is lacking in the lyrical and vocal department, Jade Puget makes up for in programming. The beats are all crisp (not a lot of crazy skips or distortion), catchy, and full of dynamics. The only fault is that a few transitions are abrupt, which disrupts the flow of the album. Still, Puget's work makes this album what it is.

And what it is? A great throwback 80s synth record. I have no idea how it stacks up to other electro, but I'm sure the target audience is more AFI punks that will seep over to Blaqk Audio's fan base than hardcore electro enthusiasts. And for a punk fan looking for some decent synth, Cexcells is by no means perfect, but it hits the spot.