In Defense of the Genre

There are few bands who truly take the term “reinvention” to heart the way that Say Anything’s Max Bemis does. With an extremely loyal fanbase still hypnotized by …Is a Real Boy, Say Anything inspires a unique sound every record, even going so far as to remove all of his signature guitar work and replace it with synth and orchestral instruments on the fantastic Hebrews. It’s difficult to predict what type of album will be next, but it’s guaranteed to force the fans to argue where it ranks amongst the rest of them for the next year.

The other reason to be excited is that Max Bemis is extremely, and unapologetically honest in his songwriting. The lyrics are bittersweet and hopeful at best and horrifically brutal at worst. His storytelling is enchanting and finds themes that other bands skim the edges of, if not avoid altogether. Although Bemis has been much more positive for the last several years, it hasn’t impacted his ability to write engaging lyrics that hold the listener’s attention just as much as guitar solos.

Bemis is one of the most prolific writers in the scene, and has been since he caught the nation’s attention over a decade ago, and personifies the phrase “unafraid to experiment.” Each album feels fresh and tends to provide an update to past releases, making the entire discography relevant again.

If nothing else, the chance to read interviews with Max Bemis as he explains the new album, attempts to explain what it sounds like, and describes his mindset with it are almost as entertaining as the album itself.

BONUS: There have been rumors for a long time that Two Tongues, the side project for members of Say Anything and Saves the Day (Yay Chris Conley!) would be releasing an album in 2015, spurred by a tweet from Max Bemis early last year. Unfortunately, Two Tongues didn’t materialize last year, but if work was underway on a new album, it may be the first new release from the band since 2009. Until concrete details are released, it’s not a good time to get one’s hopes up, but at least there is a good possibility that it will come sometime in the near future.

by Kyle Schultz

Kyle Schultz is the Senior Editor at It’s All Dead and has worked as a gaming journalist at Structure Gaming. He lives in Chicago and takes any chance to have a conversation about Max Bemis and Say Anything at every opportunity.