Anxious’s 2022 debut full-length, Little Green House, was all about growing up. The aches and pains of getting older, figuring out and fucking up in relationships both friendly and romantic, and learning how to work through the big thoughts that came with it all were perfect kindling for fiery heart-on-your sleeve emo-indebted melodic hardcore anthems that easily translated to stages big and small as the Connecticut blew up from playing DIY venues to the festival scene. Endless touring, seeing the world, and having your life story become something bigger in fast order will definitely make you grow up fast, and with that, we arrive at Bambi.

It’s an album that may have not even happened had vocalist Grady Allen not opted to put some space between himself and the musician life after going hard on the dream. Instead, he and band have come out of the other end of that exploratory sabbatical by defying sophomore slump territory and decidedly make an instant scene classic, fully alive on its arrival. Collaboration worked wonders in this kind of dynamic just as well. Where Allen was once the de facto frontman of the band, guitarist Dante Melucci’s songwriting prowess steps forward equally so, adding dueling verse and chorus structures as well as a sweetness of harmony into their sound. Fifth man Tommy Harte joins the band in the studio on this go as well, with his second guitar adding a positive bounce to every leap they take.

They’re big ones, too. Across the rollout of the release, you may have heard them namedropping Jimmy Eat World’s Bleed American, blink 182’s self-titled, Death Cab for Cutie’s Plans, and peak ’90s Smashing Pumpkins as their sonic aims. The line of influence to each may not be directly visible within Anxious’ own sound — their own balanced blend of post-hardcore-indebted punk-pop that still holds its basement scene ethos in high regard in similar fashion as their peers Fiddlehead, No Pressure, and One Step Closer — but with some added gloss and refined hooks, bolder dynamics emerge.

It broadens their alternative crossover potential through the spaced out head charges of “Never Said” and “Counting Sheep”, the pop-rock decadence of “Some Girls” and “Tell Me Why”, or in maintaining those crucial harder edges that keep stagedives satiated with “Head & Spine” and “Jacy”. Dozens of listens in, it goes without saying that the repeat factor is high on this one and doesn’t wear out its welcome. Every spin has the ability to elicit a new personal favorite, depending on how you’re looking out on life. If Anxious were big swinging on this one, there’s no going back from here. They’ve mastered the art of adulting with Bambi.

Highlights: “Some Girls”, “Counting Sheep”, “Jacy”

Anxious’ Bambi is available now on Run for Cover Records.

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