Say Anything

   Three years after their last release, controversial rockers Say Anything reemerge onto the music scene with In Defense of the Genre. This two-disc, 27 track work is poised to become one of the best and most memorable albums of 2007. It follows 2004’s …Is a Real Boy, which garnered praise from critics and fans alike. The hit “Alive with the Glory of Love” gained the band more mainstream exposure than ever. Some may doubt Say Anything’s ability to produce a new album that can get the same amount of success as …Real Boy. The combination of lead-singer Max Bemis’ brutally honest, but quirky lyrics, a vast array of musical styles and the borrowed vocals of over 20 guest singers promise to help In Defense of the Genre achieve that splendor. The first few tracks on disc-one exhibit the range of the band’s second album. The opener, “Skinny, Mean Man,” is an aggressive track full of clashing guitar riffs and cymbals, contrasting its follower, “No Soul,” which is composed of key and synth patterns. The rapid tempo changes in “The Church Channel” and the catchiness of “Shiksa (Girlfriend)” bring more excitement to the disc. Some electronic elements can also be heard on “Baby Girl, I’m A Blur,” the first single. Disc two is less upbeat with more moody, biting lyrics and slower tracks, though “We Killed It” and “Have at Thee!” are a lot of fun. The song “Vexed,” one of the slower songs, is executed nicely, especially for a band not known for slow songs. The disc ends with “Plea,” a touching song about the hope of finding true love featuring vocals from Kenny Vasoli of The Starting Line and Hayley Williams of Paramore. Williams also lends her voice to “The Church Channel”. Other guest vocalists include Anthony Green of Circa Survive, Adam Lazzara of Taking Back Sunday and Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance. Though the occasional flawed lyric keeps In Defense of the Genre from being as outstanding as …Is a Real Boy, Max Bemis’ lyrical eccentricity and the band’s musical diversity blend together to form a brilliant, cohesive album. Say Anything performed on the MySpace Music Tour with the power-pop band Hellogoodbye in October and when the tour ended in late November, the boys headed overseas and began touring in the U.K. More information on Say Anything, including tour schedules, can be found at www.sayanythingmusic.com.