Customer Reviews

Designing a Nervous Breakdown

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I first heard The Anniversary on the Vagrant comp Another Year on the Streets. I was amazed at their unique sound, especially on their unreleased track. The beautiful harmonies and clean keyboard riffs were original, to say the least. Then I bought Designing a Nervous Breakdown and fell in love. The best track is the haunting D in Detroit. I can't get enough of Adrianne's voice. I highly recommed this album to anyone, whether they're into emo or not. It's really that good.

After missing the Getup Kids concert in Seattle I felt like such a loser, especially when my friend said that he met everyone in The Anniversary. You see, The Anniversary are the best-kept secret of music. The Anniversary's "Designing A Nervous Breakdown" is incredible. Every song on the album gives me that great feeling when you hear incredible music. The Moog Synthesizer is what really gets me. That combined with three layers of vocals are what make this such a great album. Just recently I played this CD for a friend of mine who's favorite bands are Metallica and Rage Against the Machine. He bought a copy the next day, and it has become his favorite CD. If that tale is not enough to convince you these guys (and gal) are incredible, nothing will. BUY THIS CD!

This CD is another one of those breaths of fresh air that keeps me hopeful that there still are people out there that make quality music. The Anniversary blends elements of weezer style rock music with punk, emo, and a healthy dash of catchy pop. This CD has a little bit of everthing good.

Vocals: 3 layer vocals and harmonies perfected with the female sounds of Adrianne which at times reflects Mr. Matt Sharp and his Rentals.

Music: The guitar bass and drums play beautifully together which really display a well practiced and talented band. The synth/moog add a great variety to the sound and is never overdone which is a relief.

Lyrics: The lyrics are also incredible in a time where lyrics can be so shallow. As a previous reviewer noted, the lyrics take you through a geniune journey of emotions which are pleasing and well written.

Variety: Finally the band is really able to add variety to their music, which seldom dispalys any sense of repetition and keeps you involved in every moment of every song.

In other words, this CD is well done, and if you enjoy good music (especially bands like Get Up Kids, Rentals, Weezer, Elliot, False Cathedrals, Sunny Day Real Estate, Reggie etc) then this is a must own. I highly reccommend it!

I first heard The Anniversary on the Vagrant comp Another Year on the Streets. I was amazed at their unique sound, especially on their unreleased track. The beautiful harmonies and clean keyboard riffs were original, to say the least. Then I bought Designing a Nervous Breakdown and fell in love. The best track is the haunting D in Detroit. I can't get enough of Adrianne's voice. I highly recommed this album to anyone, whether they're into emo or not. It's really that good.

These guys are totally amazing. They are just as good as the getup kids and just as clean. Trust me, this is one of those CDs that you may not be totally sure of, but then end up loving it and wearing it out.

To most who read this paper, the word "emo" means little or nothing. FYI, emo (short for "emotional") is a type of music usually characterized by melodic, complicated melodies largely derived from punk and pop rock.

Whenever I hear the word "emo" I usually cringe at the thought of emaciated youths whining through their noses about the pitfalls of being young and in love. Thank God this was not the case with The Anniversary at Rubber Gloves in Denton last Thursday night.

The Anniversary, a band commonly associated with "emo" music, performed a set last week that could be dubbed anything but emo by my standards. In fact, their show was nothing short of inspiring. These five young kids from Lawrence, Kansas unleashed robust pop guitar riffs accentuated with fluid organ melodies and a tireless cacophony of drum beats.

They recently released their first full legnth album, Designing a Nervous Breakdown, on Vagrant Records. The album has brought them acclaim from high schools and college campuses around the country. However, their live sound far surpassed anything listeners have ever heard them do in a studio.

Their energy at the show was just as indefatigable as their sonic attack.

For the entire one hour set, these gifted noise makers jumped, screamed and careened about the stage with euphoric abandon.

Then, with a final crunch of the guitars and an explosion of confetti, their set was ended. That is, until they came back to play an encore before a screeching mob of adoring fans.

Any band can play "emotional" music and call themselves "emo." The Anniversary, however, has managed to capture the essence of what it sounds like to be young and out of luck.

My son ordered this for his girlfriend's birthday and she loved it! She likes alternative bands and music genres that are hard to find in our area. Amazon is our first choice when we are making purchases that may not be an easy find. We have had great experiences in the past and were mostly satisfied again. The only problem was a crack in the case but that may have happened in the shipping process.

One of the Midwest's great up-and-coming bands. I can't really add anything to comments already made, but this band is too good for me not to give a positive rating. Would make a great addition to any music collection.

A friend of mine went to a concert and came back with this album, raving about this band, The Anniversary. He forgot his cd at my place, and out of curiosity, I decided to give it a spin. And, by the fourth track or so, I realized I was sitting there perplexed, my brow furrowed, á la Jack Black in "High Fidelity," saying, "This is good. This is really friggin' good." So, the truth is, this cd is worth the twelve bucks, and if you're still unsure, find a friend who has it and just burn it. (Ain't technology grand?) The beats are a little poppy, and the vocals are weak at times, but the truth is, its a great cd for just light music to play when you're studying or something. This band has a lot of potential. It caught me by surprise, and perhaps it will catch you, too.

This is some quality music. If you like The Get Up Kids this is a band that sounds very similar. In fact, they had a flip side of a 45 with The Get Up Kids. Sounds like The Get Up Kids with some techno thrown in, great stuff.

It also has awesome cover art! :)