Say Anything - Say Anything

Say Anything left quite an impression on me with their first release "...Is A Real Boy".  The songs "Alive With The Glory Of Love (Link), and "This Is Fucking Ecstasy" (Link) were the ones that had me hooked.  With this new release, the style remains similar, and the writing improved ever so slightly.  Musically it's not all too different from their pop-punk counterparts, though it has original bits, and enough integrity to surpass similar bands.  The lead singer/songwriter Max Bemis draws his inspiration for his poignant lyrics through personal experiences from his hospitalization in a mental institute, his anxiety issues, bi-polar personality, and heavy marijuana use.  In short, it's obvious that it's from the heart and not "Baby I Love You" type drivel.  In the end it's really hit and miss, but the tracks that are good, are really good.


"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." (Allmusic album review)


Rating: 6/10


Videos:
Proprety
Hate Everyone
Mara And Me