Even with Say Anything being one of my absolute favorite bands of all time, it took me a few spins of their new album “I Don’t Think It Is” – which Max Bemis decided to drop on Feb. 5th without any warning – to tell whether I liked it or not. Unlike that catchy pop/punk and emo sound the band has with their other albums, this new LP will definitely take an acquired taste to get into. Given the fact that Max Bemis decided to collaborate with the great Darren King from MuteMath, their new album has a very raspy and raw sound. With Bemis screaming more than singing, it’s the hardest thing that the band has ever done. If you’re a fan of MuteMath – or have ever even listened to just one song by MuteMath – than you can hear the influence of Darren King very apparently throughout the entire album.
Unlike any other Say Anything album that you can pop in and listen to from beginning to end and immediately fall in love with, this is one of those albums that you just can’t do that with. While the production and sound quality is nothing to write home about compared to the crisp pop sound their other albums give off I cannot help but fall in love with the new sound on this release.
It’s very refreshing to hear them come out with something so new and different from anything they have ever done. Going back to some of their roots lyrically and not singing the “same damn song over and over again,” I hope to hear more of this new sound in the future from this amazing band. Feel free to listen to the entire album below as I feel like any Say Anything fan will be surprisingly pleased.
Thumbnail photo by Andrew Cramb @andrew_ftw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rlNs1KDwwo&index=4&list=PLSJ6eiqCrvLXQviWesXD63WeYxpyqwKmP