SAY ANYTHING “…Is A Real Boy”
SAY ANTHING has faced a lot of criticism since the release of …Is A Real Boy. With all of the publicity about frontman Max Bemis’s problems with bad pot and psychological paranoia, it’s safe to say that SAY ANYTHING has been under the spotlight for some time now. Many fans of the band have found themselves having to defend SAY ANYTHING’s publici identity on a regular basis. In almost every interview published, Max manages to slip in themes of mental problems and weed, acknowledging the rumors surrounding the band rather than directing attention to the actual music. After such a strong promotional buzz, many people decided on the group’s supposed “punk rock musical” before ever having heard even a chord, which is a shame considering some tracks on here actually do offer some redeeming qualities. With power chord/synth driven songs that are as diverse as they are clever, Bemis has crafted an album that sneers of wit and sarcasm. The music, while easily overshadowed by the stigma surrounding Bemis, is captivating and original enough to gain some musicianship credibility. …Is A Real Boy has bright moments and, as expected from the new kid on the block, a few letdowns. While tracks like “The Writhing South” and “I Want To Know Your Plans” basically do nothing but take up space on the album, others like “Woe”, “Alive With The Glory Of Love”, and “Admit It”, can infectiously stick around in your head for days with their catchy rhythms and well-crafted themes. …Is A Real Boy is an emo pop album that ridicules everything about emo pop, plastering itself with a sense of irony that prevails through the disc’s entire 13 songs. The tracks are diverse, avoiding the typical emo pop punk format and branch out into different directions on a whim. While somewhat inconsistent, Bemis wrote this album at 19, at least cementing a solid precedent for the rest of his career. While quickly torn to shreds by many writers, …Is A Real Boy is a decent album once you get past the insane buzz of the group. While it probably doesn’t deserve the attention it’s getting, it certainly doesn’t deserve to be disregarded before even giving it a listen. It’s an amusing album with a sense of humor – something that separates it from the majority of its peers (if anything, “Admit It” is worth a download for its witty comedy alone). Who wrote that pop punk couldn’t be intelligent, anyways?
Doghouse
