Spring Break
Self-titled heroes
Say Anything return to form on new album
Julie Stagis
Issue date: 11/5/09 Section: Focus
If the producers of "Glee," Conor Oberst and Rage Against the Machine formed a band, it would probably be Say Anything.
In the same vein as their last two albums, the sextet is almost sneaky about the emo content of their songs on their self-titled new release. If the lyrical content weren't so blatantly bummed out (see: "Hate Everyone" with lyrics like "I hate everyone/ I hate everyone upon this cursed earth"), Say Anything could be the house band at a retro club.
The band Web site says that the premise behind the album is that "we are in danger and any one of us has the power to save us."
To portray that theme through their enigmatic, upbeat yet sad songs, the band borrows from various genres, including cheesy pop ("Hate Everyone"), horn-heavy show tunes ("Less Cute"), doo wop ("Property") and even throws down a circus-style waltz in "Mara and Me."
Just about every song is as catchy as Say Anything's popular songs of the past, like the fantastic "Alive with the Glory of Love." But the deeper social commentary sets the songs apart from radio-friendly pop hits.
On "Property," front man Max Bemis is an overly-controlling boyfriend who thinks he owns his girlfriend. The creepy lyrics over the power-pop guitars assure that it can't be anything but tongue-in-cheek, and Bemis' spoken-word interlude amplifies just how ridiculous Say Anything thinks misogynistic guys are.
"You know I can support us all on my own," he says. "And worst case/ I'll just have to sell some drugs to my little brother's friends/ If you do have to sell your body, once or twice or seven times/ it'll be worth it."
The fun doesn't end there. Wordplay and fun analogies abound, with lyrics like "Life is not a spark in space/ An episode of Will & Grace/ Controversial yet mundane/ Debra's messing with your brain" on "Do Better" and "He's like a Wal-Mart version of you/ But he'll have to do" in "Less Cute."
Whether poking fun at macho men, telling sad stories of the girl who "took the world" from him ("Eloise") or taking a stab at Kings of Leon for writing songs about love when "There are babies with guns beheading their friends" ("Mara and Me"), Bemis and friends keep the sound fun and make their subjects accessible with great beats and riffs.
Without the weight of too many guest vocalists and overcomplicated lyrics that tangled Say Anything up on their last album, "In Defense of the Genre," "Say Anything" is a welcome return to form for the band.
On their Web site, it says, "It feels like the record the band has been destined to make: one that your Jonas Brother-worshipping 12-year-old sister and your quarter life crisis Arcade Fire fan big brother can both somehow enjoy." With the reflective lyrics and the captivating tunes, I think they hit the nail on the head.
Check out: "Property" and "Less Cute"
In the same vein as their last two albums, the sextet is almost sneaky about the emo content of their songs on their self-titled new release. If the lyrical content weren't so blatantly bummed out (see: "Hate Everyone" with lyrics like "I hate everyone/ I hate everyone upon this cursed earth"), Say Anything could be the house band at a retro club.
The band Web site says that the premise behind the album is that "we are in danger and any one of us has the power to save us."
To portray that theme through their enigmatic, upbeat yet sad songs, the band borrows from various genres, including cheesy pop ("Hate Everyone"), horn-heavy show tunes ("Less Cute"), doo wop ("Property") and even throws down a circus-style waltz in "Mara and Me."
Just about every song is as catchy as Say Anything's popular songs of the past, like the fantastic "Alive with the Glory of Love." But the deeper social commentary sets the songs apart from radio-friendly pop hits.
On "Property," front man Max Bemis is an overly-controlling boyfriend who thinks he owns his girlfriend. The creepy lyrics over the power-pop guitars assure that it can't be anything but tongue-in-cheek, and Bemis' spoken-word interlude amplifies just how ridiculous Say Anything thinks misogynistic guys are.
"You know I can support us all on my own," he says. "And worst case/ I'll just have to sell some drugs to my little brother's friends/ If you do have to sell your body, once or twice or seven times/ it'll be worth it."
The fun doesn't end there. Wordplay and fun analogies abound, with lyrics like "Life is not a spark in space/ An episode of Will & Grace/ Controversial yet mundane/ Debra's messing with your brain" on "Do Better" and "He's like a Wal-Mart version of you/ But he'll have to do" in "Less Cute."
Whether poking fun at macho men, telling sad stories of the girl who "took the world" from him ("Eloise") or taking a stab at Kings of Leon for writing songs about love when "There are babies with guns beheading their friends" ("Mara and Me"), Bemis and friends keep the sound fun and make their subjects accessible with great beats and riffs.
Without the weight of too many guest vocalists and overcomplicated lyrics that tangled Say Anything up on their last album, "In Defense of the Genre," "Say Anything" is a welcome return to form for the band.
On their Web site, it says, "It feels like the record the band has been destined to make: one that your Jonas Brother-worshipping 12-year-old sister and your quarter life crisis Arcade Fire fan big brother can both somehow enjoy." With the reflective lyrics and the captivating tunes, I think they hit the nail on the head.
Check out: "Property" and "Less Cute"
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