A two-disc concept album largely structured around the lead singer's struggle with bipolar disorder really shouldn't be in the running for "best CD of the year." Realistically, it should send people running in the opposite direction. But that's not the case with In Defense of the Genre. Somehow, Max Bemis and the boys not only managed to avoid pointless "filler" that is so common on double discs, but they also managed to make an album covering a struggle with mental illness catchy and almost fun. Of course, this might just be the crazy in me talking.
I don't have bipolar disorder, mind you. I have its bastard cousin, borderline personality disorder, which sucks more, on some level, because I don't get the moments Max writes about in songs like, "This is Fucking Ecstasy." The album chronicles both mental illness and the general insanity of relationships -- the roller coaster ride that they put you on, even under the best [or worst] of circumstances. By the time you get to the sixth song, "The Church Channel," [which is a real stand-out track], you're pulling for Max to find true love and make it work.
The album is eclectic and almost bizarre at points [see: "That Is Why" or "Died a Jew" for examples] but it still works. This isn't an album by, or about, someone who is in an even frame of mind. This is about someone falling in and out love as much as he's falling in and out of institutions and moods. It's kind of comforting to have an album you can relate to, when you suffer so much of the same feelings and problems. But I think it goes beyond that mental fog that some of us have to wade through -- the difficulties of love are pretty much universal, unless you're on an eHarmony.com commercial. And the truth is, they don't let people like us get a piece of the pie on that site.
Various songs on the album were officially leaked on all different Internet sites, and I liked the songs as they were released. That said, when you listen to the album as a whole piece, it really shines. Just block off some time, as the shortest song on the 27-song album is 53 seconds, but the average is 2.5-4 minutes.
The album also features guest vocalists galore. My favorite may be My Chemical Romance's Gerard Way's contribution to the title track -- a frantic interlude that wouldn't have been out of place on The Black Parade. Matt Skiba appears on the synth-driven "About Falling" [a song with real single power], Ana Waronker of 90s indie darlings That Dog. contributes heavenly vocals to "No Soul" -- she sounds amazing, and a sizable portion of the people who fall into the "genre" [however Max Bemis and company choose to define that word] represent it well on their respective songs.
In Defense of the Genre is appropriately titled. And while I have no idea if they were referring to punk, emo, plain old rock, or something entirely different, it doesn't matter. They've defended it, and it should be safe against attack for quite some time thanks to this album.
