Say Anything - ...Is a Real Boy (w/ guest Rhonette Smith)

Singer, songwriter, and musician from the band Centennials (centennials.bandcamp.com), Rhonette Smith, joins Bill and Brian to discuss one of her favorite albums, Say Anything's ...Is a Real Boy (2006, J Records). Written and recorded during a period of mental instability for primary songwriter Max Bemis, the album plays with emo tropes and attempts to break the mold. Originally written to be part of a rock opera, the album finds solid ground with great songs, great tones, and a solid team behind the production. Rhonette, Brian, and Bill discuss the ambition to make art, mental health, the emo conundrum, hypocrisy, ego, the influence of Weezer and the Rentals, well-written lyrics, and of course a track by track review of the whole album.