Search - Say Anything :: Is a Real Boy

A very interesting CD

A Reviewer | USA | 11/24/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Is a Real Boy is a great CD and a great start for a very interesting band. The lead singer, Max Bemis, faces a lifelong battle with bipolar disorder. He spent most of his high school and college career doing drugs to combat his lows from bipolar disorder. Before this CD was completed he committed himself to theraputic help after spending an amount of time in a paranoid depression. This took place shortly before the release of this CD. Throughout this CD, (as the booklet describes) Max tells it all exactly as he sees it and his thoughts and feelings all went into these songs and lyrics and sure enough, this is an excellent CD lyrically, providing great insight into a person who was going through a very hard time as he recorded this. It also helps that he delivers his lyrics with such conviction and such emotion and wit that he's easily one of the best and most interesting singers/songwriters in rock music today.



The songs on here go from songs about love to songs about how hypocritical society is, and even child abuse and songs dealing with drugs and lonliness. Really interesting stuff, and it's these concepts and ideas, as well as the melodic moments and an overall indie punk rock sound, that make this such an enjoyable CD. It was definitely not created with the mass market in mind; some of these songs are unapproachable unless you know what to expect, and some songs don't really become "Good" until you hear the whole thing. Songs like Woe start out being a little weird but by the end, enter a melodic and meaningful zone and finish on a great note. Other songs like Belt may seem a bit weird at first due to the subject matter but they turn out to be fast, almost punk sounding songs that are just fun to listen to. It's a CD where you're never sure what's going to happen next, and it's one that I'll keep listening to for a long time.



The CD isn't perfect. Sometimes the themes in these songs and lyrics (some of which obviously written under the influence of drugs) are so tangled and hard to decode for possibly anyone but Max himself. Others are a little on the slow side or come off as being a bit whiny, (The Futile, Every Man has a Molly, and Slowly Through a Vector).



Some flaws aside, it's a great and dark CD. While it's not as good as the band's sophmore effort and masterpiece, In Defense of the Genre, it's a great CD for new fans to the band to check out before diving into that 2-disc monster.



Is a Real Boy also comes with a second CD, recorded after Max began treatment and sobered up, (called "Was a Real Boy," ) which features additional tracks. The feel to this CD's vastly different, some songs verge on acoustic, and the themes here are less dark than on the CD. Not to say they're devoid of darkness (Little Girls, for example) but others here, like Total Revenge, get rid of the "edge" entirely and are actually kind of gentle and sweet. Admittedly, this second disc isn't particularly great on its own, (several songs on here seem fairly aimless,) but it does provide an interesting listen and sense of closure to the "life story" told on disc 1. It's a solid "add-on" to the CD.



Overall, it was a very promising start for this band and I hope they get bigger and find more fame down the road because this is a very talented band and they're unlike any rock music I've ever heard."

Their Best Overall Album

Hometown Hero | Bowling Green, KY USA | 07/14/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"if you are new to this band and wondering where to start, look no further. this double disc effort was a breath of fresh air in a genre that has been getting worse and worse. call it emo or punk or pop but this is good music. the only song i didnt care for was the most beautiful plague. other than that every song is different and really well done. highlights include: wow, i can get sexual too, belt, total revenge, and woe. this is the best say anything cd by far."