By: Gio Mio
When Say Anything dropped Hebrews in 2014, it established the fall of lead singer Max Bemis' reign as one of the kings of the punk rock scene. While it happens to be one of my favorite projects by them, the switch from guitars and drums to synthesizers and numerous features seemed like Bemis was finally accepting that he had nothing punk left to deliver entering his 30s.
Then out of nowhere comes their latest album I Don't Think It Is. I didn't know what to originally think when I saw this album on Spotify randomly. Before Hebrews came an album most SA fans would like to forget in Anarchy, My Dear, which showed a failing Bemis trying to return to the ...Is A Real Boy sound that put him and his band on the map originally. So either it was going to be a huge return to form or another miss that could be the strikeout to this band's relevancy.
The first song "Give A Damn" starts off with a slick bass line. But a few seconds later, you hear Bemis screaming and the drums fill with a metal sounding rhythm. I'm already liking the sound of this! The 30-year-old doesn't hold back his feelings, as the song's title gives away what he's trying to say. "We don't give a damn what you say" is a simple yet strong message for a chorus, and a great start to the album.
"17 Coked Up And Speeding" is another album setter with Bemis revisiting his youth and accepting his age. "You're not a kid anymore!" he screams over a very nice instrumental. But once the ending of the song comes, you're hearing blast beats and Bemis once again screaming.
Bemis throughout this project shows that he could care less what the critics and fans think of this new sound he's developed. Rough and raw production with a newfound love for screamo (and some rap bars from time to time), but mostly sounding improvised and on the spot. We're used to Say Anything songs showing a movie length plot in a four minute song, but Bemis seems to have thrown that out the window for demos.
This new sound, while unique and different, is far from the best album Say Anything has released. Nothing will top ...Is A Real Boy, but it doesn't even touch In Defense Of The Genre. I appreciate how they went back to using rock band instruments, along with going with their own style without a critic's word in their ear. I Don't Think It Is doesn't have much replay value, but it's a new direction for a band that's always looking for one .
Final Verdict: 3/5
Notable Tracks
"Give A Damn"
"17 Coked Up And Speeding"
"Jiminy"
Then out of nowhere comes their latest album I Don't Think It Is. I didn't know what to originally think when I saw this album on Spotify randomly. Before Hebrews came an album most SA fans would like to forget in Anarchy, My Dear, which showed a failing Bemis trying to return to the ...Is A Real Boy sound that put him and his band on the map originally. So either it was going to be a huge return to form or another miss that could be the strikeout to this band's relevancy.
The first song "Give A Damn" starts off with a slick bass line. But a few seconds later, you hear Bemis screaming and the drums fill with a metal sounding rhythm. I'm already liking the sound of this! The 30-year-old doesn't hold back his feelings, as the song's title gives away what he's trying to say. "We don't give a damn what you say" is a simple yet strong message for a chorus, and a great start to the album.
"17 Coked Up And Speeding" is another album setter with Bemis revisiting his youth and accepting his age. "You're not a kid anymore!" he screams over a very nice instrumental. But once the ending of the song comes, you're hearing blast beats and Bemis once again screaming.
Bemis throughout this project shows that he could care less what the critics and fans think of this new sound he's developed. Rough and raw production with a newfound love for screamo (and some rap bars from time to time), but mostly sounding improvised and on the spot. We're used to Say Anything songs showing a movie length plot in a four minute song, but Bemis seems to have thrown that out the window for demos.
This new sound, while unique and different, is far from the best album Say Anything has released. Nothing will top ...Is A Real Boy, but it doesn't even touch In Defense Of The Genre. I appreciate how they went back to using rock band instruments, along with going with their own style without a critic's word in their ear. I Don't Think It Is doesn't have much replay value, but it's a new direction for a band that's always looking for one .
Final Verdict: 3/5
Notable Tracks
"Give A Damn"
"17 Coked Up And Speeding"
"Jiminy"