Review: Say Anything - Hebrews

[Equal Vision; 2014]

Rating: 5/10

By Garrett Bower, Contributor

Key Tracks: “John McClane,” “Six Six Six”

When Max Bemis last left off with his musical diary Say Anything, the endearingly frank front-man was coming to terms with maturity, his budding shot at genuine, long-term love and his own acceptance of his cynicisms and sordid past. Even when listeners don’t agree with every aspect of the albums, it is fair to say that each new Say Anything offering feels like progress, both for Bemis and the band as they move down their own respective paths.

Because of this storied history of unabashed expressiveness, Say Anything’s new album Hebrews seems to come at an extremely opportune time. The album was written surrounding the arrival of Bemis’ first child with his wife, Eisley front-woman Sherri Dupree-Bemis. Bemis has expressed that a majority of the lyrics were inspired by his own anxieties with being a father and husband, though the album also attempts to tackle matters of heritage and religion with its title indicating Bemis’s Jewish roots.

This already sounds like a pretty wild ride. However, Bemis throws in an added hurdle: omitting any inkling of guitar from the ensemble. This forces him to create a pop punk album with reliance on drums, bass, synth and keys that often fill the role of the six string.

Hebrews starts off well enough with opener "John McClane,” which bounces along on buoyant keys as Bemis sings deprecatingly of desired redemption from all of his own life’s silly little vices. From this early point Bemis establishes more gristle on his vocals, which feel like a cozy contrast to both the smooth backing vocals and the twinkly instrumentals.

Next up is “Six Six Six,” which showcases frustrations with Bemis’ own destructive nature. He sings, “I'd rather drink, smoke, die young / Be reborn and repeat. “ The song feels rightfully desperate, as if acting as a form of catharsis. The track even features a fluttery verse sung by Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull in the role of God. Bemis retorts with hearty amounts of grime: “All I want is to dethrone God / So I can be crucified, crucified.”

Things stay strong until the fourth song, “Kall Me Kubrick,” which seems to completely run away from the album’s scope. The track feels like it was created in moments of utter frustration and, unfortunately, seems to be an added cause of that same frustration. The track initially tackles insecurities with reckless abandon (“Because I’m a spoiled, ball-less freak”) to anxieties of fatherhood and the birth of Bemis’ daughter (“It’s why I am puking out placenta”), and finally, something incoherent about our culture of perversion and Nazism. “When you piss in her mouth in your Malibu house / My boy, you wear the swastika.”

The whole thing becomes daunting as it draws on, leaving the listener to grasp at tiny shreds of really great lines and completely scratch their heads at others, like when Bemis squeezes the bland line, “I’ve never had crystal meth but I imagine this is what it feels like,” into music that simply doesn’t work.

In fact, the remainder of the album starts to get away from Bemis as the tracks become too theatric to really be enjoyable. While they tell Bemis’ story in what is no doubt a deeply personal way, this almost seems to further alienate listeners. Nuggets of truly great music are hidden throughout, but it is hard to listen to a song start to finish and not find at least one weak spot.

No doubt Hebrews is honest throughout, but in this situation, Say Anything’s vices simply get the better of them.

#sayanything #hebrews #poppunk #maxbemis