Say Anything and I have a little bond. The band write pretty good albums and I write pretty poor reviews. That’s how it goes. Don’t bother going back and reading my thoughts on the previous two records because they count for zip – ‘…Is A Real Boy’ is a great album I listen to several years on, yet my review was rushed and totally missed the point. My review of the double album launched into how great it was – and don’t get me wrong, in places the album really was great – but again I rushed into it, as over time I’ve found that record to be bloated and difficult to listen to, let alone enjoy. Too much filler for me, something I didn’t see, or probably want to hear, at the time.
The good news is I think I’ve got a handle on this record and hopefully the review will reflect that. And yes, it’s blinding. Tell the truth it did take a few plays to really get stuck into this record. Sure, there are some highlights and instant hits. ‘Hate Everything’ is the band at their catchiest and most melodic, but the band are always at their best when Max is at his weirdest and ‘Property’ and ‘Mara and Me’ are plain bonkers. But then when Max Bemis is in full on rant mode Say Anything are as vital as any band of the ‘noughties’. The tongue-in-cheek wit (‘I can’t define myself through irony and self-deprication’) sticks out a mile at times and I love it. What was ultimately missing from the double-album is here in abundance; a sense of humour where Max is more than willing to poke fun at himself (‘Crush’d’, which is probably the best love song that’s not really a serious love song, but it really is a serious love song). And yes, I’m fully aware ‘In Defense…’ was a dark album and with good reason, but this just seems so much more natural.
It would be really easy of me to go down each song and say ‘yeah, this one is great’ and ‘yeah, this one is great too’ because there aren’t any bad songs. There are subtle differences which keep the tracks interesting – I love the little synth breakdown in ‘Fed To Death’, for instance and the silly falsetto vocals on the word ‘snakeskin’ in ‘Crush’d’. It’s those tiny little things which add such a wow factor this time round. Is it better than ‘Is A Real Boy’? Only time will tell. But what time will tell for this record, I’m pretty certain, is that Say Anything are as vital, if not more vital, than they’ve ever been.