Say Anything's ...Is A Real Boy album is a pretty aggressive punk/emo record which -- aside from being masterfully written, performed, recorded, and produced -- was a towering influence on my adolescent worldview and helped radicalize me both politically and emotionally. It's hard to say whether the album speaks to this part of me, or installed this in me, but I do not take any bullshit after I've listened to it (which I do regularly). Maybe not everyone's cup of tea stylistically, but I think anyone can at least appreciate the impeccable craftsmanship of the album. The guitars are supremely crunchy, and not just warm, but scalding hot. The basslines will stick in your head. The drum fills are ridiculous. The progression and dynamicism of each track will leave you saying to yourself, "How the hell did I get here? What did the beginning of this song even sound like again?"

To test the waters I recommend the tracks "Belt", "Woe", or (from the same recording sessions) "Slumming It With Johnny."