Say Anything Alive With The Glory of Love (Red Ink) Released 04/09/06

Aren’t surprises lovely? Presents. Parties. Life affirming pop songs by bands you expect to sound like whiny nerd-rock hell.  And all the tell-tale signs to set any discerning music fan’s built in whine-detector blaring are here: formed in an LA high school, songs about girls, labelmates with The All American Rejects.  But Say Anything are as happy as a multi-tailed canine on laughing gas.  Brimful of joyous staccato guitar chops, ‘Alive With The Glory Of Love’ has the sort of cutesy lead guitar hooks that make you want to run outside and give a passing miserable-looking person a big pop-punk hug.  Just remember to shout “Surprise!”