Photo Credit: Neil Visel
Over the past decade plus, Max Bemis has developed a hard-earned reputation for avoiding ‘the norm’ with each Say Anything release. In unveiling his latest record, I Don’t Think It Is, via a midnight social media post Wednesday night, Max didn’t so much avoid the ‘traditional’ album release process as he did abandon it.
From the moment a simple GIF of Max’s best friend, Josh (who also largely served as the muse for this record), appeared on sayanythingmusic.com yesterday afternoon, the band’s fanbase began to speculate as to whether or not a new album would soon follow suit. When the clock hit midnight, not only were their suspicions confirmed (likely way ahead of when they were expecting), but the resulting album was a beautiful new addition to Max’s diverse discography that broke new ground for the project creatively while still maintaining a lot of the core qualities that Say Anything fans value most.
I Don’t Think It Is is a raw, emotive record full of poignant lyrics, punk and math rock guitars and a decidedly new rhythmic approach for the band. This breaking of new percussive ground comes in large part to Max’s choice for the first ever “full partner in the production and composition” of a Say Anything record ever, Darren King of Mutemath. While Darren was clearly the most prominent collaborator on the record, Cody Votolato of the Blood Brothers, Paul Hinojos of At The Drive In, Christian Holden of Hotelier, Max’s wife, Sherri DuPree of Eisley, and a slew of others also make appearances on the record. Once the record was written and recorded it was turned over to the incomparable Will Yip, whose mix managed to perfectly manicure the soundscape that Max and friends had created.
You can stream I Don’t Think It Is right now on YouTube, and the album can be purchased here. A physical version will be coming out April 15th on Equal Vision Records that will include exclusive, unreleased tracks, you can preorder the physical as part of eight different bundles right now. Say Anything will also be hitting the road this spring with mewithoutYou, Teen Suicide and Museum Mouth (dates below). Tickets for all dates are also available here.
Purchase “I Don’t Think It Is” Now: Preorder Bundles | iTunes | Amazon | Google Play
I Don’t Think It Is Tracklisting:
1. Give A Damn
2. 17 Coked Up Speeding
3. Rum
4. So Numb
5. Goshua
6. Jimmy
7. Princess
8. The Bret Easton Ellis School of Witchcraft and Wizardy
9. #blessed
10. Wire Mom
11. Attaboy
12. Varicose Visage