An amazingly mature and refreshing Midwest emo chiptune record. Is such a thing even possible?!?
Release date: August 8, 2025 | Polyvinyl Record Company | Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp
Setting aside the Scott Pilgrim video game soundtrack, Anyway is Anamanaguchi‘s first proper album since USA in 2019. That album belongs to a pre-Covid world that might as well be from another lifetime, given all that has transpired for the band and the planet in the interim. In January of this year, Anamanaguchi shared a cover of Nirvana’s “Territorial Pissings,” foreshadowing an imminent return and hinting at a continuation of their penchant for rock and punk.
The album cover for Anyway features the band in front of a house a la American Football x Minor Threat in a way that feels very deliberate. In lieu of their typical hyper-colorful anime cartoon cover this is your signal that things might be a little bit different this time around. In fact, if that house looks familiar, it’s because it IS the American Football house. Anamanaguchi retreated to the now-legendary home for the writing of Anyway. Singer/songwriter/guitarist Peter Berkman elaborates: ‘Crazy sounds come from normal-looking houses. We made the decision to be physically in the same room for nearly every step, writing everything as a group instead of editing and tweaking files over the internet.’
“Rage (Kitchen Sink)” focuses on a mantra like repetitious refrain referencing inanimate objects. In this case you guessed it a kitchen sink. ‘The kitchen sink / The one we’re surfing down / The kitchen sink / Draining round and round / The kitchen sink / Better find what’s floating up / The kitchen sink / Enough to fill your cup.’ Anamanaguchi cleverly swirls out of mundanity into metaphoric abstraction brilliantly. Recalling Joyce Manor and Bright Eyes, Anamanaguchi has the ability to craft an engaging story out of the ordinary, commonalities of everyday life.
“Magnet” opens with a solitary guitar line before bringing in a swirl of distortion and effects. A rock song at heart stabbed with an emo twinge. Isolated from the upbeat backing instrumentation the core lines are drenched in melodrama. ‘You’re a magnet to me / You bring me closer and closer / Until I can’t breathe / And I don’t need air / when I’m with you.’ Paired with the pop-punk vibe the track overall has a carefree nostalgic shine.
Anyway is the exact kind of evolution I love to see from a band that’s been around the block a few times. After twenty years Anamanaguchi stays true to their core sound while showing that there’s still plenty of room for growth and experimentation. The wobbles, synths, and schizophrenic pitch shifts are all definitely still there, but they’ve been subdued a bit from the dominant glitch of their early records into a more supportive role. The chiptune elements have been recast in a way that augments without being completely overpowering.
“Valley of Silence” acts as a kind of spaced out melodic interlude into the back half of the record. The longest track on Anyway at a little over five minutes “Valley of Silence” is also one of the longest songs by Anamanaguchi on any album. They tend to find their comfort zone more in the punchy two to three minute range. But getting a bit lost and stretching out of bounds is kind of the point of Anyway, so I’m glad they took the time to float out into some ethereal dream pop soundscapes with “Valley”. I’m definitely feeling some Beach House on this one. Plus the transition into the throwback chiptune frenzy of “Fall Away” is a sick example of the inherent drama and tension in contrast. One of a few moments on the album that showcases Anamanaguchi’s strengths as not only songwriters but storytellers and composers as well.
The combination of upbeat spacy synths backing up punk rock’s forward driving rhythm is a potent one. It truly becomes a best of both worlds scenario as the elements complement each other extremely well. The hyperpop electronics lighten up the too serious or somber tendencies of the one and the grounded real world focus of the other keeps the fantasy elements from drifting too far out of this world. The result is a very focused set of keyboard-infused pop punk bangers. All of this screams to life fully embodied on the track “Darcie”. Try and tell me that palm muted guitar hum and sweet puppy dog vocal delivery doesn’t just scream pure Weezer joy.
Just as their previous record [USA] was a departure from their Power Supply/Dawn Metropolis chiptune origins, Anamanaguchi once again proves that they are far from a one-trick pony. I can see Anyway bringing new converts into the fold while offering plenty to satisfy long term or returning fans. Throughout Anyway you’ll hear just as many nods to power pop and Midwest emo as you will to chiptune or synth. Echoes of Michael Cera Palin, Free Throw, Pup, and Hot Mulligan permeate the record as much as any zany Super Nintendo soundscapes or video arcade buzz.
If you stripped away all the effects and focused in on the twinkly guitars and gang vocals you’d be left with a pretty standard poppy emo album. But Anyway isn’t your standard album and it’s not all references and allusions. There is still a core Anamanaguchi sound injecting heart and soul but most of all fun and joy throughout. Ultimately Anyway is a departure that retains the familiarity of home. Dawn Metropolis is still my favorite Anamanaguchi record, but Anyway might just be their best.
