I used to be a huge fan of the Los Angeles band Say Anything. Key word: “used.” I’ve seen them about 4 or 5 times and every time, they’ve proven to be a great show, especially with a performer in lead singer Max Bemis. Unfortunately, their sophomore release ” … Is A Real Boy” was so good in my mind that nothing ever could compare to it.
“In Defense of the Genre” was their next release and although it got a good amount of critical acclaim from everyone else, I couldn’t get into it no matter how hard I tried. Saying this, when time came to hear their new self-titled release that came out earlier this month, I was hesitant. I must say though, now that I’ve listened to it, it’s not so bad!
The album starts off with “Fed to Death,” an acoustic beginning that turns into a raucous track when the whole band kicks in. It’s a strong start to the album and shows that Bemis’ still has the same great voice: still full of emotion, still strains until he almost can’t anymore and still pronounces every letter of every word.
Their debut single is “Hate Everyone” and though I don’t hate everyone, I hate this song! Okay, that may be a bit strong but I really don’t like it. I want to, but I can’t seem to. It’s incredibly poppy and has the formula to be a hit song but it just doesn’t work for some reason. The guitars and lyrics in the chorus are so elementary that it sounds like a third grader wrote the song.
Say Anything immediately turns things around for me with “Do Better” because apparently, they did better with this song! I LOVE this song, and not just because Bemis makes a Will & Grace reference. It’s quite simple and contains nothing but a simple electronic beat that includes claps and various types of strings. The song is catchy and just sounds awesome if you’re into strings. The bridge is the only part that has guitar and is only included for the solo.
“Less Cute” is a nice change and shows Say Anything’s experimentation with different genres as we hear horns and saxophones included in this track. It’s really upbeat during the verses and the chorus slows it down a bit with mid-tempo, drawn out lyrics.
One of the prettier songs on the album, “Eloise” has soft a soft acoustic guitar paired with piano but the choruses get loud and hectic when the whole band jumps in again. Once again, Bemis does a great job of singing in such a way that makes you really believe that he’s singing his guts out.
Another genre exploration for the band comes in the form of “Mara and Me.” It starts off with a metal feel right off the bat but then immediately turns into a freak show with their carnival organ! The song is pretty rocking even with that organ alternating between the loud guitars. The song takes a turn when Bemis has a short thought to himself (it seems) which is then followed by a slow melody: “I can’t define myself through irony/and self deprecation/I can’t deny myself/being alive through my alienation.” The song sounds really cool and is all over the place, ending on the same page it started on with loud, distorted guitars and some metal riffs.
“Crush’d” is another great song but there’s not much I can say about it other than I love the sound of this song! It starts off with nothing but electronic beats and synths until an acoustic guitar comes in. It’s a really sweet song but I really can’t stand the way Bemis sings the word “crush.” That’s my only gripe!
The album takes kind of an ugly turn with the songs “Cemetery” and “Property.” The first song is very dark and gives any first time listeners a peak into the past of Bemis’ struggles. It’s never been a secret that the singer has struggled with depression, paranoid delusions and bipolar disorder, which have all landed him in several mental institutions. He doesn’t try to hide it in his songwriting either and this is one of those songs where he is shown to not have given up, which is a beam of light in his life. Luckily, Bemis hasn’t had a relapse in five years!
“Property” is actually a pretty scary song even though it sounds upbeat. It reminds me of Amanda Palmer’s “Oasis” or “What’s The Use of Wond’rin” or Lily Allen’s “Fuck You” because of the same dark subject matter over an upbeat and catchy musical composition. The song is the story of an abusive relationship from the point of view of the abuser. The song is alright but I really hate the spoken word near the end. I don’t know what it is about Bemis, but I really hate his spoken word pieces.
The final song on “Say Anything”
is “Ahhh..Men” and seems to be one of those songs about finding hope in life. The religious subject matter is found in a lot of Bemis’ songwriting but it is a lot more obvious in this song. The lightly distorted guitars and Bemis’ voice are all you hear for the first couple of verses but the song gets very powerful when it goes into acoustic guitars and gang vocals. Now, you can never go wrong with gang vocals! This song gives me the chills when the gang vocals are met with Bemis’ very emotional lyrics. You can really tell that he feels what he’s singing. The drums and guitars that finally come in add more emotion and serve as a fantastic build up that ends the album on a great note.
The album seems to have more production and layers than ” … Is a Real Boy” and ” … Was a Real Boy,” which is nice. You can ask yourself why I’m not comparing the album to “In Defense of the Genre” but that’s because, as I’ve said before, I’m not a fan of that album. I was disappointed with that release and Say Anything has no one but themselves to blame for that! Their sophomore release set my standards high when it came to them and unfortunately I don’t see them matching it any time soon. I will say though, that their self-titled recent release is a step in the right direction!
“Hate Everyone“
“Ahhh…Men” – Live at Chain Reaction in Anaheim [Not the album version but AMAZING performance]
“Ahh … Men“
“Property“
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Buy the album at our record store on Amazon
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