Twenty-year-old Beemis isn't very shy when talking about his instability. In fact, he based an entire record on it. Finding inspiration in his awkward self-image, Beemis created a character for his new record, ...Is a Real Boy, who can't help breaking into song whenever he's overcome with strong emotions. Putting his feelings under a microscope, Beemis stripped himself down to the basics, examining himself, his moods, and the reasons behind them. The result is a concept rock record that goes back and forth between calling bullshit ("Admit It!") and cowering in doubt ("The Futile").
"I wanted to address my fears when making this album," Beemis explains. "If I'm gonna make an album, I gotta make something that's different, something that's really challenging to some extent."
Some might consider the concept a disaster--the ultimate selfish emo record that forces the listener to endure almost an hour of adolescent mood swings. And it certainly is that. But the saving grace is the fact that it's done well (much better than, say, a singer-songwriter who offers nothing but a few acoustic chords and the same "she lied, I cried" storyline). Beemis makes his insecurities interesting by utilizing tons of different flavors from the pop and rock spectrum, with a whole orchestra of sounds. Sadness itself is very boring. So is whining. But ...Is a Real Boy is the voice of more than just a blubbering crybaby. He's pissed off with a broken spirit and broken heart. But he's also naive enough to still want to experience love ("I Want to Know Your Plans").
In real life, at least on the phone, Beemis isn't nearly as exciting as he is on record. After just waking up while on tour in Louisville, Kentucky, Beemis burned through my questions with too many one-word answers, yawns, and a lot of "uhh, yeah"s. A bit disappointing, I gotta say. Especially since, after endlessly listening to the record, I had been anticipating a dynamic discourse about ups and downs of music and the industry and the perils of being so honest on permanent record. Turns out, he didn't have much to say on the phone. I guess the record says it all for him. Say Anything plays Graceland on Friday, November 5. The show starts at 5:00 p.m. and costs 11 bucks. MEGAN SELING
