Too much talk
Say Anything's 'In Defense of the Genre' too long and disjointed to stay engaging
By Heath D. Williams
Posted: 10/23/07, 12:10 AM EST Section: Decibel
Say Anything
"In Defense of the Genre"
Sounds like: Taking Back Sunday, too many other things
55 Decibels
About halfway through "The Church Channel," just the sixth of 27 songs on Say Anything's marathon of a new CD, everything wrong with the record happens all at once.
The song unexpectedly, inexplicably and unfortunately changes course from a catchy self-pity rock anthem with Max Bemis' strong voice and strong lyrics leading the way to an awkward, Cartel-esque pop-punk bridge with a mediocre female guest vocalist.
Bemis and the female then tell each other, "So lay your head on me," for a painful minute before the song mercifully ends.
I wish for Bemis' sake that "Channel" was the low point on the album, because it's obvious the 22-year-old frontman is trying hard to make these songs good and to make this band relevant.
But "In Defense of the Genre" ends up being a two-disc, hour-and-a-half long dud. What Say Anything has released is essentially a decent record interrupted by sub-par B-sides.
It's too long, it's too disjointed and in a lot of places, it's too awkward.
The record jumps from genre to genre too frequently, bouncing from electro-pop to borderline metal-core to acoustic ballads.
Mixing genres can be successful and makes for a good record if done successfully. But here, you can tell when Bemis and his bandmates are out of their element, when they're itching to get back to the guitar-driven emo of standouts like "This Is F*cking Ecstasy" and "Died a Jew."
There are some genre-bending songs that work, like the piano-driven, Broadway-esque "That is Why" and the acoustic, dreary break-up ballad "Goodbye Young Tutor, You've Now Outgrown Me."
But few listeners are likely to make it all the way to songs like "Tutor" at the backend of the album. It's too long and too bogged down with songs not worth listening to. It's too much work to pick out the good tunes and figure out which ones to skip.
What keeps this record from being terrible is Bemis' songwriting abilities, which carried over from the band's acclaimed debut "…Is A Real Boy."
He tackles religion, relationships, sex, drugs and his struggle with bipolar disorder - "You can't make the turkey colder/Or skew me less bipolar/Let me list the things about you I abhor," Bemis croons on "That is Why."
It's a shame that with such talent as a lyricist, Bemis didn't stick to the formula that proved to work on past hits "Alive with the Glory of Love" and "Wow, I Can Get Sexual, Too."
Next time, hopefully Bemis can use those songs as inspiration and cut the filler.
"In Defense of the Genre"
Sounds like: Taking Back Sunday, too many other things
55 Decibels
About halfway through "The Church Channel," just the sixth of 27 songs on Say Anything's marathon of a new CD, everything wrong with the record happens all at once.
The song unexpectedly, inexplicably and unfortunately changes course from a catchy self-pity rock anthem with Max Bemis' strong voice and strong lyrics leading the way to an awkward, Cartel-esque pop-punk bridge with a mediocre female guest vocalist.
Bemis and the female then tell each other, "So lay your head on me," for a painful minute before the song mercifully ends.
I wish for Bemis' sake that "Channel" was the low point on the album, because it's obvious the 22-year-old frontman is trying hard to make these songs good and to make this band relevant.
But "In Defense of the Genre" ends up being a two-disc, hour-and-a-half long dud. What Say Anything has released is essentially a decent record interrupted by sub-par B-sides.
It's too long, it's too disjointed and in a lot of places, it's too awkward.
The record jumps from genre to genre too frequently, bouncing from electro-pop to borderline metal-core to acoustic ballads.
Mixing genres can be successful and makes for a good record if done successfully. But here, you can tell when Bemis and his bandmates are out of their element, when they're itching to get back to the guitar-driven emo of standouts like "This Is F*cking Ecstasy" and "Died a Jew."
There are some genre-bending songs that work, like the piano-driven, Broadway-esque "That is Why" and the acoustic, dreary break-up ballad "Goodbye Young Tutor, You've Now Outgrown Me."
But few listeners are likely to make it all the way to songs like "Tutor" at the backend of the album. It's too long and too bogged down with songs not worth listening to. It's too much work to pick out the good tunes and figure out which ones to skip.
What keeps this record from being terrible is Bemis' songwriting abilities, which carried over from the band's acclaimed debut "…Is A Real Boy."
He tackles religion, relationships, sex, drugs and his struggle with bipolar disorder - "You can't make the turkey colder/Or skew me less bipolar/Let me list the things about you I abhor," Bemis croons on "That is Why."
It's a shame that with such talent as a lyricist, Bemis didn't stick to the formula that proved to work on past hits "Alive with the Glory of Love" and "Wow, I Can Get Sexual, Too."
Next time, hopefully Bemis can use those songs as inspiration and cut the filler.
Coheed & Cambria
"Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World for Tomorrow"
Sounds like: Mars Volta, The Prize Fighter Inferno
75 Decibels
In the final chapter of Coheed and Cambria's massive concept album - which spans five CDs - it seemed important for the band to display a certain characteristic in its music: the grandness of it all.
"Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World for Tomorrow" manages to convey the grandeur of Claudio Sanchez's, Coheed's lead singer and songwriter, lifelong project.
Whether you understand the story - about two characters named Coheed and Cambria, and the end of the world - or don't (I'm in the latter category), it remains a compelling listening experience. Coheed manages to convey the album's splendor using pounding drums, overarching guitar solos and howling vocals reminiscent of an apocalyptic tale.
Plus, Coheed and Cambria has created a unique sound over the years. It's a combination of emo, punk, progressive metal and classic rock.
The band's first single, "The Running Free," manages to straddle the line of emo and hard rock utilizing Sanchez's Geddy Lee-like falsetto vocals, a poppy chorus and strong rock instrumentation to complete a catchy combination.
However, the lengthy "Radio Bye-Bye" lasts too long for the band's pop side to sustain itself. That seems to be the biggest flaw with the album - an epic album does not necessarily need epically long songs, and Coheed fails when trying to force these tunes. The pseudo-power ballad "Mother Superior" also suffers from its six-minute time span.
Then again, when Coheed gets these ambitious songs right, it's a feat that should be marveled by listeners.
Songs like "The End Complete," "No World for Tomorrow" and the Pink Floyd-esque finale "On the Brink," sum up a marathon undertaking not to be missed.
-Matt Levin, asst. feature editor
"Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World for Tomorrow"
Sounds like: Mars Volta, The Prize Fighter Inferno
75 Decibels
In the final chapter of Coheed and Cambria's massive concept album - which spans five CDs - it seemed important for the band to display a certain characteristic in its music: the grandness of it all.
"Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World for Tomorrow" manages to convey the grandeur of Claudio Sanchez's, Coheed's lead singer and songwriter, lifelong project.
Whether you understand the story - about two characters named Coheed and Cambria, and the end of the world - or don't (I'm in the latter category), it remains a compelling listening experience. Coheed manages to convey the album's splendor using pounding drums, overarching guitar solos and howling vocals reminiscent of an apocalyptic tale.
Plus, Coheed and Cambria has created a unique sound over the years. It's a combination of emo, punk, progressive metal and classic rock.
The band's first single, "The Running Free," manages to straddle the line of emo and hard rock utilizing Sanchez's Geddy Lee-like falsetto vocals, a poppy chorus and strong rock instrumentation to complete a catchy combination.
However, the lengthy "Radio Bye-Bye" lasts too long for the band's pop side to sustain itself. That seems to be the biggest flaw with the album - an epic album does not necessarily need epically long songs, and Coheed fails when trying to force these tunes. The pseudo-power ballad "Mother Superior" also suffers from its six-minute time span.
Then again, when Coheed gets these ambitious songs right, it's a feat that should be marveled by listeners.
Songs like "The End Complete," "No World for Tomorrow" and the Pink Floyd-esque finale "On the Brink," sum up a marathon undertaking not to be missed.
-Matt Levin, asst. feature editor
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