Say Anything
The band
Say Anything, my current obsession, is undoubtedly a popular band. Its first album ...Is a Real Boy, attracted hordes of teenagers who were so busy drowning in suburbia that they didn't realize that they'd been missing the band until they heard them. A breath of fresh air, at least for me. I've been suffocating in the mediocrity that is mainstream music, and the indie/techno that turned into mainstream music, for a bit over a year now.
I've always known Say Anything, first with their song Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too, which may or may not have been the soundtrack of my freshman year of high school. The next song I heard by them was Alive With The Glory of Love, which holds my affections to this day. The lyrics are amazing, and I love the entire story behind it. Finally, as a spur of the moment kind of thing, I bought the album. Immediately, I packed my friends into my five seat Sedan and we popped it into the player and zoned out in front of Barnes and Noble, taking in the album.
Now, after the months of hiccuping I endured until I had digested the entire ...Is a Real Boy album, I could move on to In Defense of The Genre, which is just as stunning at its predecessor. The band's wit and sincerity were more than I could ask for. Not only am I currently struggling on the monumental decision of which song to put on my MySpace play list (I do think I'm going to choose An Insult To The Dead), but I am so compelled by the music (and the bad thingsI heard about it) that I feel the need to write a review in defense of the album.
What were people expecting? This isn't some Panic! to panic kind of transformation which shocked and betrayed fans. This is natural growth. It's not an entirely new genre, so what is everyone so upset about? Listen to the music, accept it as it is, and realize that it's perfect as it is.
I cannot complain, at all. I'm not betrayed, and I'm certainly not disappointed, though I do recognize that I'm late on this.
Finally, the band has just released their single Hate Everyone, which is just how it sounds. Rude, witty, and so very Bemis that it hurts.
