Album Review: Anxious - Bambi

Continuing from their debut record, Anxious now sinks deeper into reflective territory. ‘Bambi’ is a reflection of past and present, sharpening the band’s pop-punk and emo-pop tunes that may be thematically and sonically familiar, yet brings layered refinements that make for an addictingly exciting album.

Anxious is a band whose emotive essence comes from clinging onto catharsis, bringing upon pop-punk and post-hardcore tones to accentuate their emo-tinged writing, one that desperately tries to reach into connections that may slip under them. Albeit not fully realized, those potent fundamentals that were showscased on ‘Little Green House’ eventually continue toward their sophomore output, ‘Bambi’, building to bridge that emo pensiveness with some sense of growth and understanding where the band reflects upon their past relationships and their circle of friendship amidst the current success that they have now garnered, providing overall tension on the band who has to accept the process of growing older and continuing to tour on the road. Yet in reflecting upon that hemmed-in conflict, there is a resounding exhale that comes out despite the turmoil that the band has faced, willing to keep holding onto those connections gently. Still around to be a friend, supporting others for as long as they can.

That growth in the band’s writing also manages to echo through to their music, as Brett Romney’s production offers the vocal and instrumental textures with crisply rich detail, and Grady Allen’s vocal delivery splits the balance between melodic singing and sharp snarl, adding more layers in the range of expressions being delivered. That, paired with more hooks and melodic dynamics to the band’s pop punk and emo-pop song structures only makes the record addictingly replayable with such strident quality. The charged riffs and grooves on ‘Never Said’, the gleaming melodic exhales on ‘Bambi’s Theme’, the momentous chorus lines and the zapping guitar solo on ‘Counting Sheep’, the consistently stomping groove of ‘Head & Spine’, the brightly gliding melodies of ‘Tell Me Why’, the sharp pop-punk spark of ‘Sunder’, and the shuffling guitars and drums that goes off on a wonderful note on ‘I’ll Be Around’.

An introspection of past and present that leaves more growth to their future, ‘Bambi’ manages to succeed in bringing more layers to the band’s compositions, performances, and writing which allows them to move forward with faith found. It may be a thematic and sonic continuation that still puts them into familiar territory rather than breaking out of it, the refinement gives more direction on where they may head in the future, with so many intriguing roads to take. In processing through the silhouettes of the past, it dissipates whatever doubts the band may have, recentering the feeling of hope to the forefront.

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Favorite Tracks: ‘Never Said’, ‘Bambi’s Theme’, ‘Counting Sheep’, ‘Head & Spine’, ‘Tell Me Why’, ‘Sunder’, ‘I’ll Be Around’

Least Favorite Track: ‘Jacy’