Blimey. Say Anything have gone and pulled a Beyonce, haven’t they? Apart from the many, many obvious similarities between the two, it’s handy that the same conclusion can also be drawn: their album is a great surprise.
So why “forego the dying art of the lead-up” and share their new album immediately? Well, as Bemis writes, to “[destroy] any notion of feeling blasé about music”, to put it right out there, straight to the endgame, the listener.
‘Give A Damn’ wastes no time leaping from a bassy twang straight through the speakers with a ferocity and group chant you can’t ignore. ’17 Coked Up Speeding’ is Bemis’ spat storytelling at its finest, one of many opportunities to vent and shout to your heart’s content alongside him. ‘The Bret Easton Ellis School of Witchcraft and Wizardry’ is a slower burn, where ‘#Blessed’ is infectious but toys around a little. ‘Attaboy’ is a standout, lethargic but commanding, touching on the all-too-common question of Batman as a relatable person, in a seven minute epic.
