Say Anything - In Defense Of The Genre (Album)
Max Bemis of Say Anything may indeed be a musical genius. One only needs to sit back and lose themselves in his incredible lyrical knack for social observation and self observation of a self who is extremely complex to realize this. Lose themselves in the melodic brilliance that heralds his adrenalin inspired poeticism to realize this. These aren’t butterflies in Bemis’ stomach they’re fuckin’ bats, haunting him in the dark abyss of his well documented struggle with bipolar disorder. Luckily and selfishly for us, the bats bring us albums like Say Anything’s latest offering In Defense of the Genre.
This album needs to be viewed not in comparison to the masterpiece that was …Is a Real Boy, it is a completely different voice that commands In Defense of the Genres. A lot happens in 3 years during your twenties, Bemis has suffered a nervous breakdown in between the albums, fallen in love, been shitmixed from falling in love and left lonely. What results is a double disc 27 track journey through the events that shaped Bemis’ life from 2004-2007 and the revelations that accompanied these events. While it is obvious that religion has been on his mind in Died a Jew and that he has been frustrated with dealing with Bipolar in Sorry, Dudes. My Bad, the album’s main theme comes from his seemingly tumultuous excursion through a young relationship. From the euphoric highs to the empty lows that any warm blooded person can relate to and the post break-up mental conflict of ‘I don’t need her anyway…. Hang on yes I do, wait, come back’*, Bemis covers it all. So I had to put you in your place, and leave a look of shame upon your face… but I still miss you more than I ever did before.
Musically the album is infectious as fuck, skipping between tight jean skinny boy guitar rock, anxiety riddled pop luminosity, poetic balladry and even a dash of Broadway swing on That is Why. The album also contains guest vocals from 23 of the bands mates who just happen to have names like Matt Skiba (Alkaline Trio), Gerard Way (My Chemical Romance), Chris Carraba (Dashboard Confessional), Adam Lazzara (Taking Back Sunday) and Anthony Green (Circa Survive). An emotional kid’s wet dream.
The 27 track ride is over with all too soon; so many questions still need answering, more semantic issues need solving and so you carve yourself a new mental frame, switch headphones and go exploring for new discoveries. You’ll love the album, then you’ll hate it, then realize you’re in denial and go running back to it, then you’ll probably eventually hate it again… like the person who treated you like shit though, you’ll always end up coming back for more.
*not a song title, just a description.
