Connecticut based emo band Anxious is set to release their sophomore album Bambi, on February 21 via Run For Cover Records. The follow-up to their very well received 2022 debut Little Green House, Bambi is titled after one of the names originally suggested for the band itself, before ultimately deciding on Anxious. 

Nostalgia is in full swing right now, especially in the pop-punk/emo landscape. Whether it’s the Emo’s Not Dead cruise, or the wildly successful When We Were Young festival, held annually in Las Vegas, the music of the early 00’s is alive and well in 2025. Taking a page from this nostalgia, while giving it a modern, fresh take, is exactly what Anxious has crafted with Bambi. The wide range of influences from the obvious likes of Taking Back Sunday and Jimmy Eat World are on display here, as well as some not so obvious, like The Beach Boys, are sprinkled throughout the record. 

Brett Romnes of The Movie Life & I Am The Avalanche produced and engineered Bambi, somehow taking all of these vastly different sonic ideas, and helping create a beautiful and adventurous album that feels cohesive and concise. There’s a lot to digest here, but none of the record’s eleven songs feel out of place. Opening track Never Said is the perfect song to kick off the album, it’s fast paced and a great opportunity to crank the volume. While each song offers something different, one of the common threads throughout Bambi are its lush harmonies. This is where you really hear The Beach Boys influence, especially on the beautiful ballad Audrey Go Again. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear Brian Wilson is singing harmony with lead vocalist Grady Allen’s gorgeous falsetto. 

Anxious isn’t afraid to turn left when you are expecting it to go right. Immediately following Audrey Go Again, the listener is hit with killer riffs and the pounding drums of Jonny Camner on Head & Spine. Camner is definitely doing his best Travis Barker impression here. Another one of the album’s standout tracks found earlier on the album, is lead single Counting Sheep. This song is Anxious at their best, taking all of their influences and turning them into a sound uniquely their own. 

For as heavy as things get at times, Bambi is still a very accessible pop-forward album at its core. If you can imagine Third Eye Blind releasing a hardcore record, then you might get a sense of what this album sounds like. The production is gritty when it needs it, and clean and crisp where it should be. The layers are intricate and perfectly placed. Whether you like catchy pop tunes, or punchy guitar driven rock songs, there’s something for everybody. Longtime fans of Anxious should be very pleased with their second LP, while newcomers have a lot to latch onto. 

8.0/10

Anxious-Bambi

Release Date: 2/21/25

Track listing:

1: Never Said

2: Bambi’s Theme

3: Some Girls

4: Counting Sheep

5: Audrey Go Again

6: Head & Spine

7: Tell Me Why

8: Sunder

9: Next Big Star

10: Jacy

11: I’ll Be Around

Written by Jeremy Schmidt