ARTIST: Smile Empty Soul
TITLE: Anxiety
LABEL: Lava Records
GENRE: Rock
BITRATE: 214kbps avg
PLAYTIME: 0h 51min total
RELEASE DATE: 2005-09-27
RIP DATE: 2005-08-13

Track List

01. Bright Side                     4:06
02. To The Ground                   3:42
03. California's Lonely             3:06
04. Self Inflicted                  4:44
05. Holes                           3:52
06. Don't Need You                  3:42
07. Fight Of A Suburban Couple      2:15
08. Refill Me                       3:56
09. God's Army                      4:06
10. Not Alright                     4:01
11. Saturday                        3:12
12. Cody                            1:38
13. Proud To Be                     3:05
14. Never Again                     3:18
15. End Of The World                2:58

Release Notes:

"This record's called Anxiety for good reason!" explains fully tattooed Smile
Empty Soul singer/guitarist Sean Danielsen of his band's sophomore disc. "I
had a couple of break-downs while making this record - serious,
go-to-hospital break-downs. The record was so hard to get done, and it took
its toll."

Following the gold-certified success of Smile Empty Soul's 2003 self-titled
debut, Danielsen and bassist Ryan Martin had to deal with post-tour blues,
parting company with their long-time drummer Derek Gledhill, and the pressure
to deliver more hits after songs like "Bottom Of A Bottle," "Nowhere Kids,"
and "Silhouettes" enjoyed steady radio and MTV rotation. "There were people
saying we had to write æBottom Of A Bottle: 2'," laments the palpably
neurotic Danielson, lank dark hair obscuring his face. "So that was one of
the struggles of this record. I wasn't going to sit down and try to write a
hit ... that's writing a song for the wrong reasons and we don't do that."

Far from mailing-in for a clone of their previous album, Smile Empty Soul -
while sticking with the winning formula of producer John Lewis Parker and his
Suburban Hell studios in Saugus, CA - took a whole new production approach,
incorporating fresh musical influences reflecting Smile's change in
perspective from that of a local act in sleepy Santa Clarita, California, to
touring pros who now roam the nation for a living.

Always priding themselves on writing songs that can stand alone with just an
acoustic guitar, SES took a stripped-down approach to their debut, with many
live takes and minimal overdubs, but for Anxiety they overhauled this ethic:
"This one's the exact opposite," laughs Danielsen. "This album's definitely
produced ... guitars and harmonies are everywhere. Just from hitting the road
with the first record and listening to it along the way, we thought we'd like
to try something new."

The guitar driven harmony approach also reflects some of the "new-old" music,
which Danielsen and Martin have been re-discovering. "I've been re-visiting
older stuff," Danielsen confirms. "[Pink Floyd's] Dark Side Of The Moon and
Wish You Were Here, Led Zeppelin ... and I'm a huge Peter Gabriel fan."

On top of a staple diet of Queens of the Stone Age and At The Drive-In, Martin
too has been taking a long look back: "I just bought the Beatles' Revolver and
I love that record ... and Simon & Garfunkel - those harmonies are unreal."

Reflecting their ever-more-worldly outlook comes the Beach Boys-on-acid vibe
of "California's Lonely", which mulls outsiders' often over-rosy impressions
of the state. "People have a pre-conceived image and stereotype about
California," Danielsen marvels. "That it's this magical land of blond beauties
and palm trees, where everyone's happy and having a great time and there's no
depression or issues ... but this place is just as shitty as anywhere else,
it's just a different environment."

And then there's the brave inclusion of "Proud To Be", which, against the
backdrop of the Iraq war, Danielsen sings in the character of an
unquestioning, arrogant redneck.

"These songs are bubbling with sarcasm," Danielsen admits. "There's an attitude
amongst some Americans that we're the shit and we're gonna take on the whole
world. I like this country and I'm proud to be a part of this country, but I'm
not proud to be a part of that side of the country."

"God's Army" continues Danielsen's sideways look at organized religion, rooted
in his childhood experiences with his devoutly religious mother, and pours
scorn on politicians who use faith as a manipulative tool. "I just think people
should have their own belief system - too many people have died in the name of
god, y'know?"

But while Anxiety is critical, and sometimes almost Alice In Chains-menacing,
its tone is anything but two-dimensional. "One thing that I think is a huge
shift from the last record is that, even though it still has its moments of
darkness, Anxiety has a lot of shining optimism too," says Danielsen.

Smile Empty Soul - who've toured with everyone from Jane's Addiction and Puddle
of Mudd, to Deftones and Seether, and who took the '04 Sno-Core tour by storm -
will now embark upon an extended bout of roadwork behind Anxiety. But don't
expect the shows to be carbon copies of the album: more than ever SES is taking
an in-the-moment, ultra-frenetic approach to live performance, prepared to take
chances and embrace surprises.

"Our show's totally adrenaline fueled," Danielsen enthuses. "We take the songs
from the record and they come out as punk rock as we can make them - more
energy, louder, heavier, and I scream more! When things are forced, it's never
good - when you let things take on their own life a little, they just flow
better."

Anxiety is all the great things about Smile Empty Soul's debut, plus the
musical benefits of added wisdom and two years on the road. They've retained
their instinctive songwriting savvy and remained true to themselves, while
producing a record to be reckoned with and honing their ultra-honest live
show. No need for anxiety after all...