Not much said: Say Anything's latest self-titled album is a poor departure from previous ones with whiny lyrics, complicated arrangements

BAND: Say Anything

ALBUM: "Say Anything"

GENRE: Alternative Rock SOUNDS LIKE: Saves the Day, Hot Rod Circuit, Brand New SCORE: 40 Decibels

After spending the last two years tirelessly touring across the states and the United Kingdom, the Los Angeles-based band Say Anything has come out with their fourth album. The self-titled release features 13 tracks, including the single "Hate Everyone."

Catchy choruses, dramatic arrangements, witty lyrics and a touch of self-loathing - yep, it's certainly a Say Anything album. Unfortunately, it's not a very good one. It has its moments of brilliance, but most of the disc is muddled with underwhelming verses and one too many whiny songs about girls.

The album opens with the mid-tempo "Fed to Death," a short introduction clocking in at just over a minute and thirty seconds. Acoustic chords suddenly give way to an intense electric wall of sound at the thirty-second mark. Concise and poignant, "Fed To Death" serves as a perfect album opener.

"Hate Everyone" and "Do Better" follow, and serve as two of the best tracks on the album. "Hate Everyone" is a bitterly humorous pop-rock anthem where singer Max Bemis repeatedly chants how he, well, hates "everyone on this cursed earth." Upbeat and undeniably catchy, "Hate Everyone" will have you singing and hating right along with Bemis.

"Do Better" is arguably the best track on the disc, and gets better with every listen. A Death Cab for Cutie-esque tune, "Do Better" is a unique combination of sounds centering around a violin loop and an electronic drum beat. Lyrically, "Do Better" is a witty but self-deprecating tune about wanting to become a better version of you.

The only other standout track of the album appears in "Less Cute." At first listen, it's a seemingly average break-up song. But its jazzy horns, punchy bridges and sing-along chorus demand more attention. The song climaxes towards the end with a dual vocal dynamic.

Then the album takes a downturn with the tracks "Eloise," "Mara and Me" and "Property." Musically and lyrically, they are universal letdowns. "Eloise" is a boring and uninspired break-up song, where Bemis whines "Eloise, you never meant that much to me" and "You took the world from me." "Mara and Me" is also musically unexciting and annoying in its angst and whining. The arrangement is overcomplicated and fickle, showing that the band tried too hard to sound progressive. "Property" is about an abusive relationship from the viewpoint of the abuser. Generic guitars and rhythms bring down an otherwise conceptually interesting song.

The remaining tracks, including "She Won't Follow You," "Cemetery," "Young Dumb and Stung" and "Ahhh...Men" all have hit-and-miss moments. The choruses of "She Won't Follow You" and "Cemetery" are musically satisfying, but the verses and bridges are boring and slow paced. "Young Dumb and Stung" is forgettable, while "Ahhh...Men" progresses too slowly and isn't worth listening to until its halfway point.

The newest Say Anything album as a whole however, is worth a listen to, but probably not worth a buy. Overcomplicated arrangements and lyrics are at fault for some of the tracks, while others are simply generic sounding and whiny. I still have love for Bemis and his boys, but I'm going to have to console myself with Say Anything classics like "Alive With the Glory of Love," "Shiksa (Girlfriend)" and "Every Man Has a Molly."

omstdeni@syr.edu