Say Anything is a real treat

By Madeleine Johnson

The record begins with a song of rebellion and ends with some tasty new treats. And in between the two, there’s a whole lot of mental disturbance, substance abuse, funky musical flourishes, lyrics dripping with sexual intentions and the relentless mockery of scene kids who take their scene way too seriously. Say Anything’s reissue of its 2004 album …Is a Real Boy is a nice reminder of how the band can be counted on to produce songs that will both make your toes tap and satisfy your brain with unusually
insightful lyrics.

With the fragile sanity of singer/songwriter Max Bemis serving as the heart and soul of his three-person band, Say Anything has won a special place in the hearts of fans whose musical tastes can’t always be categorized. The cleverly unpretentious lyrics, driving melodies, and emotional intensity of a man who has grown quite accustomed to the inside of psychiatric care facilities all make Say Anything’s catalogue of songs a necessity in any melomaniac’s music collection.

The album is an entity presented in two discs: The first is the main course of …Is a Real Boy in all of its previously savored glory, and the second is the seven-song dessert that is the …Was a Real Boy bonus disc.

…Is a Real Boy resurfaces thankfully intact on this album, and it still presents its fortunate listeners with 13 variations on what awesome sounds like.

Those who have not previously purchased (or downloaded) …Is a Real Boy absolutely must devour this reissue as soon as humanly possible. Those who are already familiar with the original album and haven’t made the effort to seek out the songs that comprise …Was a Real Boy really ought to both locate and feast upon them in the near future.

Gems such as “Woe,” “Alive with the Glory of Love,” and the delightfully scathing “Admit It!!!” still stand out as some of the most remarkable moments in an album that manages to pack 10 pounds of awesome in a 0.5-ounce compact disc. The companion CD relentlessly pummels its audience’s auditory sense with a non-stop stream of titillating tunes. From “Little Girls,” a cautionary tale of why wee lasses of the poseur variety should avoid the pit during shows, to “Most Beautiful Plague,” an unconventional sort of love song, to “Total Revenge,” which offers a small, allegorical glimpse into Bemis’ questionable mental stability, ….Was a Real Boy offers an enjoyable musical experience, though it does seem a bit darker and more cynical than its predecessor.

The only real complaint one can justifiably issue against these two discs is that it seems a little self-aggrandizing to reissue an album not even two years after it was first released and include a glorified EP as the only instance of fresh material. But even if it is an act of egotism, it’s a much-deserved one.

There isn’t a song to be found anywhere on Say Anything’s newest release that fails to rock. New and old fans alike should be quite pleased with this reissue.