After the masterpiece/almost rock opera album “…Is A Real Boy” on Doghouse Records (then re-issued as “…Was A Real Boy” by J Records), Say Anything is back with their sophomore studio album. It’s been some years since the band released the previous album, and due to Max Bemis’ health problem, the band took some time to write and record the new songs, with a never ending live activity on tour that took Say Anything on tour with anyone that matters in the world, and this shows in the guest vocals on the new record (that I won’t mention, because this is a Say Anything record).

The new album is intended to be a rock opera, and in fact it’s a double disc with 27 new tunes, where Bemis sings about love disasters, all through sex metaphors, straight in your face “fuck you’s” and religious references. I had a hard time listening to the new songs, because I was so addicted to the older anthems “Spidersong” and “Every Man Has A Molly” that for me it’s been hard to lend my ear to the new stuff, but really, it works.

The first CD is filled with more poppy songs, and more electronic clashes, as  the single “Baby Girl, I’m A Blur” or the song “Shiksa (Girlfriend)”, with their electric beats and catchy choruses. But the real sweetness comes out on tracks like “No Soul” (one of the best songs of the record) and “The Church Channel”, where Max sings about his past few years. “Retarded In Love” and “Died A Jew” are my personal favorite tracks, because of the lyrics and the fact that they sings about sick stories.

The second CD might be called as the “hardest part”: it is filled with anthems, punk rock songs, and less melody. “We Killed It” sounds like a demo, with its 1.53 minutes of pure madness and genius at the same time, while “Have At Thee!” is the rock and roll song. “Spores” kills me every time I heard it, while “The Word You Wield” and “Vexed” are awesome in their simplicity. “Hangover Song” is the best minute of music you can hear for 0.99 bucks.

It’s really hard to label this record with a few words, but I must say “In Defense Of The Genre” is the most intense trip I did this year. Without drugs.

Tracklist

Disc One:
1. Skinny, Mean Man
2. No Soul
3. That is Why
4. Surgically Removing the Tracking Device
5.This is Fucking Ecstasy
6. The Church Channel
7. Shiksa (Girlfriend)
8. Baby Girl, I’m a Blur
9. Retarded in Love
10. People Like You are Why People Like Me Exist
11. Died a Jew
12. An Insult to the Dead
13. Sorry, Dudes, My Bad

Disc Two:
1. Spay Me
2. In Defense of the Genre
3. The Truth is, You Should Lie with Me
4. The Words You Wield
5. Vexed
6. About Falling
7. You’re the Wanker if Anyone Is
8. Spores
9. We Killed It
10. Have at Thee!
11. Hangover Song
12. Goodbye Young Tutor, You’ve Now Outgrown Me
13. I Used to Have a Heart
14. Plea


Listen to new songs here.
Purchase “In Defense Of The Genre” here.