Anxious – Bambi Review

Hotly anticipated and living up to those high expectations, Anxious’ latest work, Bambi, kicks off right and keeps on pushing. Bambi marks the band’s second release, three years on from a debut which has no doubt moulded hopes for the future, both for the artists and their listeners. A hoarse voice and heavy punch from the lyrical direction, guided by those drifting guitars and the emo-adjacent material is a nice build from Anxious. Their work on Bambi maintains some real and ongoing charms, a set of well-developed and mixed songs where fans of the genre will certainly feel comfortable, even moved. For those newcomers, there is a heavier edge, a shot in the dark at a tone which has the band drift towards a new niche. It is a welcome sound all around, that is for sure. Bambi builds on the conventions of the genre and like any great artist, has the band build new meaning and ideas from this core.  

Both Never Said and Bambi’s Theme blur into one another with the consistent emo rock charms. Expect those guitar tones, the heavier tinge of percussion and the inevitable longing, pop-oriented lyrical experience. It all comes to a head on Some Girls, but crucial to these tones is the general likeability of Anxious as a creative unit. Moments of real inspiration can be heard throughout Bambi and most of it comes through the instrumental boom. Some Girls is a real high because it breaks, slightly, from those expected genre stylings. The same goes for Counting Sheep, a song which feels dipped in the flickering nostalgia of the past but pushes forward with some sweet backing vocals and well-paced percussion. It drags the lyrics and the vocal work from being a constant adaptation of mid-2000s quality. Bambi evolves far past this sound and finds new life in a genre which has had its heyday.  

Slower tones prevail with Audrey Go Again, a complete split from the fundamentals of the pop-rock start and instead a tender, acoustic joy. Anxious has no problem drifting from genre to genre – but crucial is the common thread leading to these changes. When they challenge or change their sound, Bambi becomes an exceptional record. A song like Head & Spine feels traditional, a callback to the tones which Anxious often adapts and changes. But it is fair to let them have one or two songs which fail to break from the expectations and trappings of those popular tones. It is a welcome experience when it is not the overarching sound – that is what Anxious gets more than most. Anxieties and emotional outpourings are pounced on throughout Bambi and it makes for some of the band’s volatile best.  

Take a song like Sunder and let it run the gauntlet as Anxious does, and some powerhouse alternative rock tones can be found. Grady Allen serves as an excellent frontman for Anxious as he manipulates and explores the grittier tones of the modern-day place emo-pop has. Bambi is much more than a compilation of tones which sound as though they belong to the past. Through some truly dedicated effort, Allen and the band move it on, set a new goal for contemporary acts and push further. It is admirable to hear how well Bambi moulds the past with the present. With Anxious in play, the future looks bright. Moments of real skill stand out amid a collection of very solid songs.