Say Anything

That's how much of of this album feels--confusing....Our advice? Stick to the disc's first half; it's where you'll find the best songs. [Nov 2009, p.114]

On his third album, Bemis has crafted one of his strongest musical statements yet, outright mocking genre conventions one second before deliberately succumbing to them the next, showcasing large amounts of self-referential humor but never once stopping to point out just how clever he is and feeding into what could potentially be a Kanye-sized ego.

The music doesn't always keep up with Bemis' self-absorbed lyrical jujitsu, but there's definite charm in the struggle.

Pretty much, Say Anything offers more for fans and opens up the Say Anything sound for new ‘users’ to come and enjoy. It’s the perfect balance of a step forward and a redaction to a more “safe” sound.

In the end, all of this makes Say Anything the most mature – as well as the catchiest--record in Say Anything’s already impressive oeuvre.

It's even better crafted than its sprawling, genre-hopping predecessor. Sadly, it’s also more obnoxiously solipsistic.

There's sax and doo-wop here, but Bemis is at his best yelling stuff like "I can't define myself through irony …and self-deprecation!" over taut punk pop.