Friday, April 6, 2012

Say Anything- Anarchy, My Dear

So, I'm finally getting around to this. I love Say Anything, and I am willing to take any shit I get for reviewing them... So bring it on. Say Anything is an indie/punk/whatever rock band from Los Angeles. They are extremely fun. The line up has hectically changed from duos to full 4-5 member groups in the past 12 years, but Max Bemis and Cody Linder have been in it since the beginning. Say Anything are probably most known for Max, crazy shows, being hated, and changing teenage girl's lives forever. Everyone thinks they're awesome or awful- and I thankfully fall into that first category. Forever catchy, brutally honest, and cutesy- thanks for twelve years of awesome, you guys. Anarchy, My Dear was released on March 13th of this year.

"Burn A Miracle" starts us off with a super fucking catchy beat and very Bemis-esque lyrics. Super descriptive, overflowing with metaphor. The beat itself is very bouncy (dare I say staccato?) and all over the place in the best of the ways. It's a great way to start off the record, seriously.
When you hear Max Bemis talk about the record, he describes this as their first attempt at really writing a "punk" record- mostly in the ideals. I think the music is actually more poppy than we're used to, but when you're saying things like "Burn America if you've gotta soul, burn the dream!" you can definitely hear that mentality. 
"Say Anything" is definitely sounding a lot more like what I'm used to with them. It's a seriously great song with interesting guitar riffs and adorable lyrics. It's starts off slow and acoustic, but they build it up into a full band, fast, and demanding sound. It's awesome.
"Night's Song" has the cutest beat ever. It's bouncy, cutesy, you name it. It also displays something that I always look for in their songs- a really interesting melody. Every now and then, they just go all over the place. It switches between instruments and they're almost always doing their own thing. The bass line especially sounds great.
"Admit it Again" is an interesting choice. "Admit It!!!", off of the "...Is a Real Boy" is probably one of their most infamous songs. Let's be honest, most people hated it. It was a great rant, but the execution was a little off. However, Max Bemis picks it up again on this album. The music is a little bit more intricate, the lyrics are a little more in depth, but it's pretty much the same song. Hence the "again."
"So Good" is a really, really cute song. Sherri DuPree is a lucky lady. (You know, besides being really cute and having her own awesome band. That might also contribute to her luckiness.)
"Sheep" is a fairly interesting song. It reminds me a little of the 80s. It's not a bad song; it's just not one of my favorites. I do like the tempo changes, however.
Skipping ahead to one of the real stand-out tracks....
"Anarchy, My Dear" is a fucking AWESOME song. It's one of my favorites. Amazing lyrics, great rock ballad. One of those songs you want to listen to over and over again. I will listen to this song a thousand times.

Overall, I liked this album a lot. I don't think it's their best, but it's impressive and I'm going to listen to it a lot. The sounds vary, but they stay pretty much in the same pop-rock style that they feel most comfortable in. I think Max Bemis did an admirable job with his attempt at changing the mentality and outlook of the band, but let's face it- Max is still Max and his lyrics will always have the same tone. :)
Listen to it, really. If you hate Say Anything, then go listen to your Four Year Strong or whatever.


-Bear

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