I’ll just come out and say it: Say Anything’s 2004 release …Is a Real Boy may just be one of my top albums of all time. The combination of singer/songwriter Max Bemis’ exponentially deep lyrics, clever guitar arrangements, and melancholy message throughout each song make you think, while still maintaining the memorable hooks and choruses seen in the “radio rock” scene of today. And then there’s the live acoustic performances with Bemis practically pouring out his soul to anyone that will listen — something which really made Say Anything “click” with me.
In a recent show at Anaheim’s Chain Reaction, we got to learn a little more about the band’s upcoming record, currently titled This is Forever, with Bemis stating, “I’ve written the whole thing. It’s done, it’s gonna be recorded, and it’s gonna come out,” before treating fans to “Ahhhh…men,” a (so far) acoustically-driven song from the new album that he describes as “the weirdest song on the record.”
Unlike last year’s In Defense of the Genre — a record many fans see as a side-step for the band — “Ahhhh…men” feels like more of a return to form for Bemis. Reminiscent of the slower paced “Walk Through Hell” and “I Want to Know Your Plans,” the version out there on “the internets” is goosebump-worthy in the emotional touch on display — of course, it’s Say Anything, so the song kicks off as sly and humorous as ever, with the opening lines:
Staring out the window of our tour bus
And it’s just the horny driver and us
We sit and trade wit, and smoke and we cuss
Talking about our friendly border drug bust
And i know the future’s cloudy and gray
Record like mine, give up or go gay
Packed with metaphor, and a rather simplistic, yet effective acoustic guitar arrangement, Bemis closes the song, painting a picture that only his closing comments to the audience can describe, stating “that was amazing.”
There’s a crack in the edge at the end of the world
Where I will sit with my love in this fluorescent swirl
Eat us up, break it down to the tiniest cell
In our room with a view and a window to hell
Where the room with the bodies will display what they’ve done
And march through museums that repel what they’ve done
And shot up through the sky by a cannon of sin
Who will reluctantly let them in
“Ahhhh…Men” has already become an instant favorite on my iPod, and shows a lot of promise for the rest of This is Forever. So far, the only versions of the song that exist are from live shows, but assuming the album version doesn’t get too over-produced or severely altered, and with Bemis displaying some of his strongest songwriting chops yet, things are looking very promising for the future of the band.
