Anxious - Bambi

Two decades ago, the thought of a hardcore band – even one as melodic and emo-driven as Anxious – making a sophomore album like ‘Bambi’ would be tantamount to shooting Bambi’s mum. Fortunately, times have changed, meaning accusations of “going soft” or, even worse “selling out” no longer seem pertinent. Instead, we have a band flexing their creative muscle in brilliant and unexpected ways.

Of course, the Connecticut crew are starting from a high base. 2022’s ‘Little Green House’ was a superb breakout, melding punk, melodic hardcore, and 90s-inspired emo to great aplomb. But here, the reference points are dizzying and dazzling, with Anxious touching on everything from classic alt-rock, indie, power-pop and beyond while leaving the more abrasive elements of their debut in the distant past.

Smartly, Anxious kick things off with a forceful one-two; opener ‘Never Said’ is probably the most intense number on the record, while pop-punk blast ‘Bambi’s Theme’ serves as the most accessible inroad. So far, so ‘Little Green House’, then – but these cuts are merely just inviting you to make yourself comfortable for what follows.

The creeping indie/emo-pop influence flashes through ‘Some Girls’ but positively blooms in ‘Counting Sheep’, mixing the choppiness of ‘Bleed American’ era Jimmy Eat World with the playful, hard-edged pop of latter Nai Harvest. Both are uniformly outstanding and build on the blueprint established with ‘Little Green House’s ‘More than a Letter’. It’s a similar story on ‘Tell Me Why’ and ‘Jacy’.

Better still is the melancholy ‘Audrey Go Again’. It’s a gorgeously brittle and light moment, beautiful and sensitively arranged, and rewards Anxious’ boldness and creatively handsomely. Fortunately, plenty of rocking moments are still sprinkled throughout, ensuring ‘Bambi’ remains consistently and constantly engaging, but this is a real statement from one of the hottest emo/punk/hardcore bands around.