Nothing says reboot, reinvention, or any of the other ‘re’ words associated with pop music quite like the mid-career self-titled album. The Beatles did it. Fleetwood Mac did it. Metallica did it. Heck, Weezer can’t stop doing it. And now, L.A.’s Say Anything has gone ahead and done it. On the band’s previous, titled albums, frontman Max Bemis penned anthems about love loss and heartbreak. While the new album’s 46-minute running time is trim next to 2007’s double LP In Defense of The Genre, the group has still found space to explore new ground sonically and lyrically. It wouldn’t still be emo if there weren’t still girl problems, but Bemis has broadened his thematic palette to address his beefs with everything from obesity (Fed to Death) to his own potential (Do Better) to, well, everyone (Hate Everyone). Bemis has an ear for hooks, and the music is varied and catchy enough to keep the listener’s interest. The most indicative example is the track Property, which starts as a doo-wop pastiche, then shifts gears from pop-punk to metal to spoken word soliloquy(!?) before ending in a cacophony of guitar feedback. Musically compelling as it is though, Say Anything lives and dies on the strength of Bemis’ lyrics, easily the most divisive aspect of the album, or for that matter, the genre. The lyrics are ultra self-aware, the rhyming couplets designed to draw attention to themselves. How you feel about lines like “When I was ten years young, my douche best friend decided that I was just not cool enough for him” will go a long way in determining how much enjoyment you’ll get out of this record.
Key Tracks: Death for My Birthday, Ahhhhh…Men, Do Better, Hate Everyone
Moods: Self-Conscious, Sarcastic, Fun, Lively, Street-Smart, Raucous
Buy: Say Anything
