Say Anything Albums (3)
What The Critics Say
Clocking in at 46 minutes -- nearly half the running time of 2007's In Defense of the Genre -- Say Anything's fourth album is both trim and tuneful, with Max Bemis devoting more focus than ever to the tightening of his quirky, unchained pop songs. "Focus" is a relative term, of course; the frontman still finds time to run wild throughout this disc, rearranging conventional song structures like Picasso and sampling from multiple genres -- emo, rock, punk-pop, R&B, even doo wop -- with greedy glee. The choruses boast stronger hooks this time around, though, which lends heft to Say Anything's musical mish-mash, and the band's willingness to break rules is what makes this album so refreshing. Arriving at the tail-end of 2009, a year in which most emo-pop was compressed, polished, and wholly indebted to Top 40 radio, Say Anything is as unpredictable as they come, boasting 13 tracks that sound dangerous and delicious at the same time. "There are babies with guns beheading their friends in shopping malls around the world, yet somehow the Kings of Leon still have time to write songs about girls," Bemis sing at the beginning of "Mara and Me," adding "I don't suck much less" in a guttural scream. It's this combination of self-loathing and pop culture critique that fuels most of the album, and Bemis distances himself from his contemporaries by briefly embracing their tricks -- the palm-muted guitar chords, the "whoa oh oh" background vocals, the dramatic delivery -- before turning them on their heads, whether that means adding pizzicato strings to "Do Better" or circus-styled keyboard to the aforementioned "Mara and Me." This is an impulsive album, an odd piece of work that manages to be puzzling without alienating the listener. ~ Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide
'In Defense of the Genre'
Release Date 10/23/2007
Tracks 27
Label RCA
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Max Bemis -- the medicated frontman responsible for every melody, riff, and snare hit on Say Anything's ...Is a Real Boy -- has broadened his approach for the band's follow-up release. In Defense of the Genre is a double-disc set spanning every nook and cranny of Bemis' record collection, with a full lineup accompanying his romps through screamo, show tunes, and the usual pop-punk territory. Also along for the ride is a long list of collaborators, and anyone who questions Say Anything's ability to stay afloat in light of their frontman's bipolar disorder need only notice the supportive cameos by Gerard Way, Pete Yorn, and Chris Carrabba. But even if Bemis has the support of the music industry, he still refuses to play by its rules, structuring In Defense of the Genre like a schizophrenic mixtape instead of something traditionally cohesive. The songs function like a series of miniature suites, making left-hand turns without warning and mixing genres together with a deft hand. Electronica choruses rub shoulders with punky verses in "No Soul." Broadway-styled orchestrations in "That Is Why" give way to the aggressive "Surgically Removing the Tracking Device." Elsewhere, Bemis finds room to toss everything from doo wop to reggae into the pot, and although the resulting concoction isn't quite as appetizing as ...Is a Real Boy, it's certainly good enough to warrant several helpings. Bemis may be seeking to defend the emo genre, but his album instead illustrates the difference between run-of-the-mill emo -- which, indeed, comprises most of the genre's output -- and the imaginative, skillful tunes that flourish here. The only major downside is the album's length; at 89 minutes, it often comes across as untrimmed and longwinded, particularly during the second disc. ~ Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Despite some of the hype surrounding its release, Say Anything's self-described rock opera ...Is a Real Boy still caught many in the punk scene off-guard, seemingly coming out of nowhere with its theatrical tone and critical, perceptive lyrical makeup. At the helm of the album is the self-conscious 20-something singer/songwriter Max Bemis, who ultimately is Say Anything: he wrote and plays pretty much everything but percussion on the record. The songs were originally written as part of a play, complete with a cast of characters, full story, and spoken interludes. A rise-and-fall plot of sorts, the story line was to be: a band is mediocre until its idealistic frontman (who also suffers from alienation and anxiety in a world of hypocrisy) becomes cursed to spew his innermost thoughts in the form of honest songs that alter the band into wildly popular stars before their own hypocrisy leads to their undoing. And though the proposed story line didn't completely transfer to the album, it's almost too easy to see parallels between the real band and the made-up one, envisioning Bemis (with his own history of anxiety, depression, and paranoia) as the actual hyper-aware lead character. Sure, one could look at this album as self-indulgent, overzealous, and egocentric, but when the songs are as catchy, cutting, and enjoyable as these, it really doesn't matter. The compelling rock of "Belt" starts things off with its thuggish army of background singers, leading into the self-conscious, wry realms of "Woe" (choice lyrics include: "she took pity on me, horizontally, but most likely because of my band"). Urgent drumbeats and harmonizing vocals open the singalong "Alive with the Glory of Love," a song that is so catchy, one almost forgets the dark, almost Holocaust-like nature of the lyrics (a sample line reads "when our city...falls to the axis, they'll search the buildings, collect gold fillings, wallets and rings...you'd look finer with each day in hiding"). Musically, the songs are about as full of life as you'll likely find on any indie/punk release in the early 2000s, and Bemis' great lyrics only add to them. Criticisms on popular culture appear alongside self-deprecating, introspective, and sarcastic lines of love and fear. In "Every Man Has a Molly," Bemis implores kids to spend a lot of money on band merchandise after his girlfriend breaks up with him for writing about her in songs ("because for you I won't ever have rough sex with Molly Connolly again"). At one point, he tells the industry to "go choke on your irony" ("The Futile"), and frustrations with today's scene come to a sharp peak in the confrontational and biting "Admit It!!!," where an empowered Bemis raises two impassioned middle fingers to the elitist crowds that may reject him and his music. Considering the new-school genre of punk that Say Anything is associated with -- and the audience the album is geared toward -- the record is quite ironic. After all, aren't some of the kids eating this music up the same ones with the elitist, condescending personas Bemis was reacting against in the first place? Either way, ...Is a Real Boy comes off as an impressively well-done, multifaceted effort that deserves multiple spins and makes Say Anything truly a band to watch. ~ Corey Apar, All Music Guide
