Raise your boomboxes in the air for Say Anything’s big return with ...Is Committed and take a trip with Max Bemis through his labyrinth of angst, humor, lament, and chaotic beauty.
Get ready for a rock renaissance as Say Anything drop their first new album in five years, ...Is Committed, following a string of fiery singles and a headline 20th anniversary tour celebrating their breakthrough album ...Is A Real Boy.
After a lengthy hiatus, Say Anything stormed back into the spotlight last year with three new singles: “PSYCHE!,” “ARE YOU (IN) THERE?” and “CARRIE & LOWELL & CODY (PENDENT).” These songs signaled a rejuvenated band ready to take back their emo throne. Their reunion was met with sold-out shows in New York City and Los Angeles, plus standout performances at Riot Fest in Chicago and When We Were Young in Las Vegas. In December, they announced the celebratory tour for ...Is A Real Boy, fueling excitement for the new album.
...Is Committed reunites Say Anything’s frontman Max Bemis with producer Brad Wood, who previously made their seminal double album ...In Defense Of The Genre. Fans thought the band had bowed out with 2019’s Oliver Appropriate, but the new album proves they’ve still got plenty left to say. The standout track, “I, VIBRATOR,” is a quirky yet heartfelt ode to Bemis’ wife. Bemis describes it as “about wanting to be objectified as a righteous tool against the patriarchy for a particular girl to use at will.” It’s classic Bemis - irreverent, insightful, and utterly original. And something only Bemis can get away with.
Bemis’ journey back to the band wasn’t without its struggles. After attempting to settle into a quieter life in Texas, personal and societal chaos drew him back to music. The pandemic’s pressures, mental health battles, and family strife fueled the raw, cathartic energy of ...Is Committed. The result is an album that channels angst, rage, and a quest for identity in a world gone awry.
The album opens with “BE, CHILDREN (INTRODUCTION TO THE REUNION RECORD),” a mission statement that blends satire with sincerity. Tracks like “ON CUM” and “AUTO-HARMONIC ASS FIXATION” showcase Bemis’ knack for mixing punk thrash with subversive humor. Meanwhile, “WE SAY GRACE IN THIS GODDAMN BAND, MISTER” hits on themes of religious oppression and family conflict. The heart of the album lies in “WOMAN SONG,” written after a harrowing experience with child services. The song captures Bemis at his most vulnerable, distilling the essence of Say Anything’s emotional intensity and self-aware humor.