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Arts & Entertainment CD review: Grand Defense
By Greg Summy Staff writer
Say Anything made a name for themselves with their debut two-disc album "Is a Real Boy" in 2006. On Oct. 23, 2007, the band released its much anticipated sophomore album on J Records (Sony BMG Music Group) "In Defense of the Genre." Much like "Is a Real Boy," "Genre" is a double album, featuring 27 mind-bending, bipolar-infused tracks, courtesy of lead vocalist Max Bemis’ hectic lifestyle. The album follows Bemis’ life on the road with the band. He focuses most prominently on how he and the band are forced to cope with his psychological condition. The song styles and arrangement of the songs on the album are mirror images of the lyrics Bemis penned so brilliantly, eclectic, diverse and utterly original. Each song explores a different genre while maintaining the trademark Say Anything energy and style. No two tracks on this album seem to fit with one another, as if Bemis and company decided to put them on the album chronologically as they were written. The album definitely gives the average listener an insight into the troubled world of extreme bipolar disorder. Just as important as Bemis is, the rest of the band serves as the backbone and the trademark sound of Say Anything. The sextet includes Bemis, drummer Colby Linder, guitarists Alex Kent, Jake Turner and Jeff Turner and keyboardist Parker Case. The band hails from southern California, but has a sound similar to that of bands from the Midwest. Their incorporation of east coast punk, jazz, blues and classic rock influences give them a unique sound that manages to bring fans from across genres. The list of guest vocalists is that worked on the album is staggering: Pete Yorn, Anna Waronker (formerly of That Dog), Adam Lazzara, Fred Mascherino, Anthony Raneri, Hayley Williams, Caithlin De Marrais, Chris Carraba (of Dashboard Confessional), Michael Auerbach, Casey Prestwood, Trevor Keith, Chris Conley (of Saves the Day), Gerard Way (of My Chemical Romance), Joshua Sultan, Matt Ask, Laura Kirsch, Jordan Until, Chad Gilbert, Aaron Gillespie (of The Underoath), Andy Jackson, Anthony Green and Kenny Vasoli (of The Starting Line) share their vocal talents on the album. DJ Swamp lends his turntable proficiency to the album on the song "No Soul." "In Defense of the Genre" shares a common theme with "Is A Real Boy": sex. Bemis writes provocative, occasionally over-detailed accounts of his cavalier lifestyle on the road over the course of both albums. The first single off the double-album, "Baby Girl, I’m a
Blur," sounds nothing like previous Say Anything singles ("Alive with the Glory
of Love", "Baby Girl" is a more dance- and pop-oriented song with heavy bass, drums, and synthesizers. The song also features a hard rock style guitar solo to tie the song together and fade out. The second song slated to be released as a single, "Shiksa" (Girlfriend)," is an eclectic mix of various styles of pop and rock. Vocal harmonies and soaring synth and guitar riffs flood the song with a radio-friendly vibe that inspires even the most rhythmically challenged individuals to get up and dance.
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