Album Review #3

Say Anything - Say Anything
genre: pop/rock
released: Nov. 3, 2009
label: RCA

Say Anything has gone through a lot over the past decade. Through all the ups and downs this band has experienced, they have still managed to put out some great music. 2004's ...Is a Real Boy is what got me interested in Say Anything and if I'm being honest with myself, that album is probably in my personal top 15 or even 10. They followed with the ep ...Was a Real Boy, and in 2007, released a double album In Defense of the Genre, which was quite a project to embark on. Now they are back again with their self-titled album, sure to pick up an even larger slew of listeners than before.

The new album has a lot of positives, along with some negatives as well. The album is much more radio-friendly than their previous releases, incorporating a wider array of backing instruments in their songs. The opening track "Fed to Death" is great, and my only complaint is that the song should be longer. It is a catchy, powerful song that gets the listener excited for the rest of the album. The album's single comes up next, "Hate Everyone". I really don't like the song personally, but I can see why the song would attract more listeners with its light delivery of such a strong emotion such as hate. It was a solid choice for a single for the mere fact that it will gain a strong radio following. "Do Better" is a softer song that many people I've talked to don't like, but I think it's a fun, poppy sing-a-long. It's really simple, which is probably why I like the song so much.

The next two tracks are two of the best songs on the album. "Less Cute" took me a while to latch onto, with its trumpet-driven first stanza, but once I got past the new sound, I really grew to love the song. This would be a great choice for the next single, due to its poppy drum beats and catchy guitars and vocals. This song is the closest thing to a "Baby Girl I'm a Blur" type song for the new album. "Eloise" is simply exceptional. It's dark, passionate, strong, and shows the shear talent that vocalist Max Bemis has as both a lyricist and a singer. They don't try to do too much with this track and it's one of the better songs the band has written in the past 5 years.

The next group of songs are either going to sell you on the album or completely push you away. "Mara and Me" is great for the most part, but the circus-y tone in the beginning and the spoken word interruption really make me wonder why they didn't just cut the first minute or so out of the song. As a side-note, drummer Coby Linder's singing on this track ("Everything that you dooo...") makes me hope that he sings a lot more on future releases. "Crush'd" is a step in the wrong direction, like a more sappy, r&b meats electronica mix in the same vein as IDOTG's "Girlfriend". I'm happy that Max isn't depressed anymore, but don't write any more songs like this again. Please.

"She Won't Follow You" is another catchy song that weaves its way in and out of new and old Say Anything. The chorus is sure to keep anyone coming back to the song for multiple plays. The next few tracks are a bit of a lull for me, and I can't get into them the way I did for previous songs. "Cemetery" and "Property" are both okay, but nothing spectacular comes out of them. The end of "Cemetery" is definitely worth listening to the rest of the song for and "Property" really tanks with another pointless spoken word piece, bringing down an otherwise decent song. Next is "Death for My Birthday", another typical pop-rock song. The track runs a bit too long, keeping with a catchy beat and relying heavily on Bemis's singing. "Young, Dumb, and Stung" is along the same lines as the last song, but with more keyboards and faster/heavier with a melodic chorus.

The last song on the album, "Ahhh... Men" may be the best song the band has ever written. The guitars are the perfect backing to Max's excellent delivery of some of the most powerful lyrics he has ever composed. The song picks up halfway through, with a chorus of men belting out "Can I lie with you in your grave" while Max angrily shouts out an extremely emotional set of lyrics, culminating in an outburst, the band sounding tighter than ever, while Max screams in the background. This is the song that should be loved by all listeners of Say Anything, new and old.

Overall, the album has its peaks and valleys, but ultimately the band has created another solid release. The songs that are good, are better than the good songs on the last album. But unfortunately, the bad songs are worse than the bad songs on the last album. Luckily, the good does outweigh the bad by a considerable amount and sets the tone for some more great albums in the future. I think the self-titled effort is a step in the right direction for a band who strives to get back that magnum opus sound provided with ...Is a Real Boy. It's going to be intriguing to see where Say Anything goes from here.


Favorite tracks: Less Cute, Eloise, Ahhh... Men

For fans of: Saves the Day, Two Tongues

Say Anything's myspace