[Gibson SG]

New York Music - Say Anything Calm Down - page 1
Max Bemis gets saved. Anybody have comments on this?

[Sean]

Interesting.

I'd say more, but I tend to be skeptical towards announcements like that.

[Jeffrey]

Interesting, I shall echo. Doesn't change the fact that In Defense of the Genre was a terrible album, and a major disappointment to boot. Still, I hope it's true and I hope Max takes some time off from music as he goes through this shift in his life.

[Skeeter]

While I am skeptical, I definitely hope it's true. It's such an odd little aside in that article.

[thelitguy]

New album is streaming on myspace right now!

Edit: After the first listen, this may be my new album of the year. It's a massive step up from In Defense of the Genre.

[penguinofwar]

Originally Posted by Skeeter

While I am skeptical, I definitely hope it's true. It's such an odd little aside in that article.

"Oh yeah, by they way, Max is now a Christian"

I think its awesome. Like you said, I really hope its true, too. I think its the coolest thing when a guy like Max, who seemed so far from God or being christian or whatever when you listened to his music (which is partially why I don't listen to them as much anymore) actually become a Christian. I really want to give their new stuff a listen now...

[Skeeter]

Max would occasionally throw in references to his Jewish upbringing...

[SupaNova]

Originally Posted by thelitguy

New album is streaming on myspace right now!

Edit: After the first listen, this may be my new album of the year. It's a massive step up from In Defense of the Genre.

I'm not completely sold on every song yet, but yeah, it's a huge leap above IDofG. I absolutely love Do Better and Crush'd.

Interesting article upthread. I've been wondering what Max's religious status was since learning a while back he had married one of the Eisely girls. And I like the comment Cody Linder made, because the lack of curse words was the first thing that stuck out to me on this record too.

[akaukal]

I really dig this record. "Hate Everyone" is a fun song.

[thelitguy]

I think Max is starting to find a bit of his own voice on this album, or at least a new voice.

In Defense sounded like he was trying so hard to be a sexually frustrated Jew with a self-medication problem.

The new record seems much more sincere to me.

[Gibson SG]

litguy, I was thinking exactly the same thing. It's like Max is almost happy at times on the new record, there's a couple songs that are almost straight love songs. Defense sounded too much like he was uninspired, and tried to copy ...Real Boy. At least the angry white Jew part of ...Real Boy. Not to mention the lack of excess on the new album, rather than the multiple guest artists and double disc of Defense. This may be my favorite album of the year.

[Jeffrey]

Huh. First track may be making a reference to Tom Goes to the Mayor. I ☺☺☺☺ you not. The abrupt piano outro was unbearable. Reference to Christ is sure to make Relevant Magazine and hundreds of Xian bloggers (wait, are they still around?) become as unto Israel lusting after foreign commanders (worst. euphemism. ever.)

I liked "Hate Everyone" when I first heard it. Lifts from "Rudie Can't Fail" and "I Fought the Law" but features the good twists of phrase that marked Max Who Was a Real Boy, instead of Max the Defender.

Third song: "Debra's messing with your brain" is possible the worst line ever. Well, okay, I could see Mustard Plug getting away with it -- because they didn't take themselves so seriously. Is Max thinking that he got a fat government check to write after-school specials? Music is blah. A good idea underplayed - the problem with "Defense."

Fourth song: the horns are interesting; I wish they didn't drop out, as they would have kept the second half of the song from sounding so generic. Why did Max go from a lush, unusual approach to his style and then fall back on his old tricks: the distorted overextended chorus and drop-out bridge?

Fifth: Max's piano sounds like it was done via a MIDI program by someone who's never played piano. His lyrics are ridiculously unsubtle and unpalatable on this track. Haven't we put the "Helena" era of My Chemical Romance behind us? No, that ain't a swipe at MCR. What came before and after was stronger.

Sixth: Okay, I need a break. He rhymed "world" and "girls" while referencing the Kings of Leon over poor calliope music? What's happening? That sudden aside was exactly what it was trying not to be: pretentious and unclever. Hooray for real pop/punk appearing after that poor opening. Too many things going on in this song.

Like I said, I need a break. This album ain't good so far, but we'll see what happens when I listen to the rest. I'll buy it out of loyalty, but it's becoming clear to me that ...is a real boy was a one-time event. I'm sorry he had to suffer so much for that record to occur, but without suffering I wouldn't have the poems of Catullus either.

Edit: I'm back

Seven: awful intro. It reminded me of five songs I hated off Defense.

Eight: very cool intro. Reminds me of Less Than Jake jamming with Collective Soul...then it drops out into grating, industrial pop...which makes it sound cooler than it is.

Nine: "Cemetary" is a weak incarnation of "A Walk Through Hell" and "Transylvanian." There are good things, however. For once, the backing vocals work marvelously. If I end up making a fantasy ep as I did for Defense, this will make it on there.

Ten: I love classic doo wop, late fifties ballads, and soul, so while "Property" opens with a very derivative progression, it was still a nice change. I was dreading the inevitable change into faux-fierce roar...and then it came. The spoken word section sounds like the irreverent comedy songs of Mike Nelson and the Bots from MST3k...but it doesn't fit the song. The outro would work as a parody of post-emo.

Eleven: "Death for My Birthday" reminds me for David Bazan's songwriting from the past five years...thick chords, sparse arrangement, sly narrative, rollicking drums heavy on the snare. Not perfect, but good overall.

Twelve: Too similar to the previous track in its percussion, in my opinion. A C- version of "An Orgy of Critics," with unconvincing lyrics and delivery.

Thirteen: when the backing vocals come, things start to get interesting, but the arrangement doesn't keep up with Max's fevered pitch.


...is a real boy: 95/100
Defense: 50/100
self-titled: 60/100

If I had been given all the tracks and asked to assemble a release:

i am a humanist e.p.

1. Less Cute
2. Hate Everyone
3. Death for My Birthday
4. Cemetary

[Sean]

I liked this one even less than In Defense of the Genre. There weren't any songs I hated, but there weren't any songs I care to re-listen to either. It managed to leave me without any strong emotions. l can't say I anticipate much from them in the future.