Anxious have returned! The Connecticut-based punk favourites have announced their sophomore album, ‘Bambi‘, is due out February 21st via Run For Cover Records & Civilians. ‘Bambi’ follows Anxious’ acclaimed 2022 full-length, ‘Little Green House‘, and finds the band fully embracing the widescreen alternative rock songwriting they’ve always hinted at. It’s a record of growth and depth that’s sonically ambitious while further amplifying the seamless combination of hardcore grit and classic emo dynamism that’s made them such a beloved young band.
To mark the announcement, the group have shared their gigantic lead single Counting Sheep. From the song’s very first seconds it’s clear that this is Anxious on another level. Lush harmonies ring out over shimmering guitars before the song explodes into walls of distorted guitars and powerhouse drumming, wrapped up with one of the biggest choruses the group ever penned. It’s a track that manages to nod to the albums maximalist direction and influences—everything from Jimmy Eat World and Third Eye Blind, to The Smashing Pumpkins and even The Beach Boys—while sounding definitively like Anxious.
Guitarist and co-vocalist Dante Melucci discussed the new song and its unexpected origins saying: “This one is totally insane… I had the idea that I could turn the vibe of the Gorillaz self-titled record into a cool Anxious track, and once I had the verse melody and the quick 16th rhythm pacing I knew it was gonna be the best song. It’s about being lethargic and wasting your time and hiding, all because you’re too afraid to confront just about everything.”
Anxious’ debut album ‘Little Green House‘ was drew praise from fans and critics alike (including Pitchfork, Stereogum, The FADER, Paste Magazine, BrooklynVegan, and many more), and the band followed it up with three fantastic singles Where You Been, Sunsign, and Down, Down which pushed their sound forward. Now ‘Bambi’ picks up where those songs left off and skyrockets Anxious’ songwriting to even greater heights. Produced, engineered, and mixed by Brett Romnes (The Movielife, Front Bottoms, Oso Oso) at The Barber Shop Studios, it’s a record of meticulously arranged, ultra-dynamic music that’s perfectly tailored to pack a huge musical and emotional punch. ‘Bambi’ takes big swings, and song after song, it connects.
Lyrically, the record is a warts-and-all portrait of leaving your adolescence behind; the breakups, the burnouts, the inevitable challenges of ending adulthood—all of which are further complicated by trying to avoid the frustrating cliches of being in a quickly rising band and spending the better part of two years on tour. The result is a massive leap forward and an endlessly anthemic rock record. ‘Bambi’ is the sound of Anxious putting everything on the line and coming out on the other side better than ever.
Counting Sheep is out now and streaming everywhere. ‘Bambi’ the album will be available Friday February 21 via Run For Cover Records & Civilians, pre-orders live now.
