Music Video Review: AFI's "Beautiful Thieves"

By our guest blogger, Megan O'Malley

AFI’s new video for their latest single, “Beautiful Thieves,” is a color-themed video that serves to highlight the group’s well-worn sound. While they don’t tread on any new territory, these guys stick with what they know and their video reflects the kind of thing their fans will want to see.

As a group, AFI have been making music together for almost 20 years--they know what their fan base is and how to target them. This video is draped in reds, blacks and whites, each color representing its own specific purpose. The band enters a party dressed in black, contrasting the white house and guests dressed in white. They proceed to spike/poison the punch and watch quietly while chaos ensues around them. Those dressed in white or mostly white are the innocents of the party, those in black are the “beautiful thieves” and the red represents the loss of inhibitions and control by those who chose to drink the punch. As the group sings about how no one would ever suspect them, surprise, no one does.

“Beautiful Thieves” is a pretty video and it fits the song nicely. AFI are the perpetual outsiders and they make themselves and their music accessible to anyone feeling angst. Although they could stand to move forward from their emo haircuts and guy-liner, these guys know what they do well and know how to deliver it in a way that will please fans.

Grade: B-

View the video for "Beautiful Thieves" below.  What are your thoughts?