Album Review: Anarchy My Dear

As a diehard fan of Max Bemis’ voice and Say Anything in general, I was very anxiously awaiting the release of their new album, Anarchy My Dear.  I first fell in love with Say Anything back in 2004 with the release of their second full-length album, …Is A Real Boy.  That album is definitely on my all-time top ten list; I could listen to it on repeat for days.  However, it would be a mistake to compare their latest album to …Is A Real Boy.  As far as Say Anything goes, nothing will ever take the place in my heart that their second album occupies.  That being said, Anarchy My Dear is still a good album, with tracks that I’m sure will be blasting out of my car stereo for some time. 

One of my favorite things about Bemis’ lyrics is his ability to combine scathing comedic lines with unfiltered emotional outpourings.  In this respect, Anarchy My Dear, stays true to the bands past.  One thing listeners will notice, however, is that the album contains slower, more mid-tempo tunes than previous albums.   Here are some of my favorites off the new album:

Night’s Song: “Under the sun gods stare, I wince and blossom hives, counting the fractions of day, rotting away.”

So Good: “When the universe that is not comes to kill our love and trust, I only want a soul to know it feels so good with us.”

Peace Out: “You hug that pole like a firefighter falling in love.”

Their Notions: “But I’m just proud to know that we spit on their notions that our love parts the oceans, that our love fuels their motion.” This song is only available on the deluxe version of the CD, and I highly recommend you buy it!