Two Tongues, 'Two Tongues'

Or, what happens when two mopey emo dudes find true love

By Kirk Miller

Metromix

The buzz: It’s an emo-plosion! Max Bemis, the mastermind behind the cranky, witty Say Anything, partners up with his musical idol, Chris Conley of Saves the Day, for an album of angst, regret, lost love and somewhat awkward lyrical exchanges. As Bemis explains on his band’s MySpace page: “Whether you want to look at the record as songs about two people starting a romantic relationship or this dynamic of how inspiration operates between two people, that's your choice.” Interesting! (To be fair, Bemis claims to be talking about meeting his new girlfriend during the recording. Hmm.…)

The verdict: Fans of Say Anything’s recent, guest-star-studded album “In Defense of the Genre” will feel right at home hearing Bemis trading back-and-forth exchanges with other emo superstars…although, in this case, the vocal exchange is only between him and Conley, whose whiny, child-like croon is an acquired taste. Although he lacks much of a vocal range, Bemis’s hurt/bemused yammerings work best here, pliable to both the aggressive tracks (“If I Could Make You Do Things”) and the funky (“Back Against the Wall”). Take out Conley, and you have a solid Say Anything record. Add him in, and you have….

Did you know? Sorry, but it’s hard not to hear something more, ahem, “charged” between Bemis and Conley than simple musical inspiration. When the two start screaming call-and-response couplets like “I feel you here/deep inside/you make me feel alive” (during “Come On”), emo finally gets a homoerotic moment on par with that awkward Bowie/Jagger pairing at the ’85 Live Aid concert (under 30? YouTube it).