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Designing a Nervous Breakdown
A pixelated sideview of a person's face
Studio album by
The Anniversary
ReleasedJanuary 25, 2000
RecordedJuly 1999
StudioKingsize Soundlabs
GenreEmo, indie rock, synth-pop
Length39:59
LabelVagrant
ProducerDavid Trumfio
The Anniversary chronology
Designing a Nervous Breakdown
(2000) 		Your Majesty
(2002)

Designing a Nervous Breakdown is the debut studio album by the American rock band The Anniversary. The album was recorded in 1999, released on January 25, 2000, and features cover art from the video game Microsurgeon.

Background and production

The Anniversary formed by vocalist and guitarists Josh Berwanger and Justin Roelofs while they were in high school from the remnants their local pop punk bands. The first song they wrote was written with a Moog synthesizer in mind. The pair had the idea of bringing in a female keyboardist, at which point Adrianne Verhoeven joined the group;[1] Verhoeven would later also tackle lead vocals.[2] The band held their first show in 1997 in the basement of Berwanger's mother's house.[3] When the members went to college, drummer Christian Jankowski and bassist James David joined the band. The Get Up Kids bassist Rob Pope sought out the band in 1999 with the intention of releasing their debut on Heroes & Villains Records,[1] an imprint of independent label Vagrant Records that was owned by the Get Up Kids.[2] Berwanger had been friends with Pope for a few years prior to the formation of his or Pope's bands.[1]

The band spent some time playing supporting slots for the likes of the Pulsars, Superchunk and Helium.[4] Designing a Nervous Breakdown was recorded at Kingsize Soundlabs in Chicago, Illinois. Sessions were held in July 1999 and produced by David Trumfio, who also acted as engineer and mixer. The recordings were mastered by Ramon Breton at Oceanview Mastering.[5]

Composition

Designing a Nervous Breakdown has been described as an emo[6][7] indie rock[8] and synth-pop release,[9] with new wave and Blink-182-styled punk rock influences.[10] The band drew comparisons to Devo, Sonic Youth,[11] the Get Up Kids[2] (specifically their album Something to Write Home About)[7] and the Rentals.[2] It incorporated frequent synthesizer usage, alongside electronic drums and group vocals.[12] Berwanger likened their sound as a cross between Guns N' Roses and New Order. He said the majority of the tracks dealt with the topic of death.[13]

The opening track "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter" was reminiscent of Modest Mouse and Joan of Arc.[8] The power pop track "All Things Ordinary"[14] and "The D in Detroit" begin with similar guitar intros and subsequently chord progressions.[10] "Perfectly" channeled the brooding nature of the Cure,[11] while its outro was reminiscent of Explosions in the Sky.[14] "The D in Detroit" was an archetypical Anniversary song: upbeat emo funneling the soul of pop punk, with flourishes of synth and Verhoeven's vocals.[7] "Shu Shubat" incorporates the use of arpeggios. The closing track "Outro in No Minor" uses finger-picking.[14]

Release

In August 1999, Designing a Nervous Breakdown was announced for release early next year. Preview clips from the album was posted on the group's website later in the month.[15] In October, the band performed at a Heroes & Villains showcase in New York City, prior to the release of a split-single with the Get Up Kids in November.[16] Designing a Nervous Breakdown was released on January 25, 2000.[8] They promoted it with an east tour tour in January and February, followed by an east coast trek in March[17] and another west coast tour in April with Love as Laughter, Hot Rod Circuit and Piebald.[18] On a budget of $600, the band made a music video for "All Things Ordinary", which Jankowski directed.[3] It was filmed at Oldfather Studios in Lawrence, Kansas, and took influence from 1980s music videos. The clip starts with a director coming into view and telling the band he'll change their look. Over the course of the video, the members' outfits changes from cavemen to pirates to animal costumes, before returning to their normal clothes. Some extras were invited from a party down the road to dance around the band for around 30 minutes.[19]

The group then went on a six-week of Europe with the Get Up Kids in May and June,[20] and then a eight-week US tour with them.[1] The band went on the Heroes & Villains Fall Tour in September and October with the Get Up Kids and Koufax; alongside this, the band and Koufax played two shows without the Get Up Kids.[21] They took a two-week break after the trek's conclusion, before touring again until Christmas.[19] The band received some attention when Berwanger dated actress Chloë Sevigny for a brief period.[22] In 2016, Vagrant celebrated their 20th anniversary by re-pressing their back-catalogue on vinyl, including Designing a Nervous Breakdown.[23] To celebrate the album's 20th anniversary, the band played a few shows in early 2020 where they performed the album in its entirety.[24]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
Exclaim!Favorable[11]
Ink 19Favorable[25]
Lawrence Journal-WorldFavorable[4]
Ox-FanzineFavorable[26]
The Phantom Tollbooth4.5/5[12]
Pitchfork6.8/10[10]

Designing a Nervous Breakdown has appeared on various best-of emo album lists by A.Side TV,[27] LA Weekly[28] and Treblezine.[29] Similarly, "The D in Detriot" appeared on a best-of emo songs list by Stereogum[7] and Vulture.[30]

Designing a Nervous Breakdown received generally positive reviews from music critics. AllMusic reviewer Heather Phares said the album "blends their skill at crafting emotional, punky-yet-melodic songs with a fondness for new-wave synths."[8] It was a "strong debut" which "reaffirms that traditional indie rock can still sound fresh and lively."[8] Exclaim! writer Stuart Green said the group "puts their predilection for Devo, Sonic Youth and goofy pop hooks to good use with a collection of ten interesting and downright catchy tracks".[11] Ox-Fanzine's Joachim Hiller was "pretty impressed" with the record, adding that it combined "contemporary pop with style elements from the early eighties without looking retro."[26] Justin W. Jones of The Phantom Tollbooth said it was an "incredible album that is so much more accessible than run of the mill emo bands."[12]

Lawrence Journal-World writer Geoff Harkness said the band come across as "tight, focused and fun", enjoying how Verhoeven's "quirky chirps and riding-on-the-Metro synths" are placed "nicely with the strumming and singing" of Roelofs and Berwanger.[4] Ink 19's Marcel Feldmar said the Modest Mouse-esque vocals "stretch and whine over a Get-Up Kids inspired explosion of straight ahead pop and electricity laden indie rock hooks."[25] Its combination of guitars that sweep "over rock steady rhythm[s]" and "[c]ool synth squealing" was a "good mix ... done well."[25] Pitchfork reviewer Taylor M. Clark said " every one of the 10 songs is nearly indistinguishable from the last" with the same "guitar distortion, ... harmonies, ... emo lyrics, ... [and] moog."[10]

Track listing

All songs written by the Anniversary.[5]

No.TitleLength
1."The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter"3:07
2."All Things Ordinary"3:52
3."Perfectly"3:35
4."The D in Detroit"4:16
5."Emma Discovery"3:14
6."Shu Shubat"3:59
7."Till We Earned a Holiday"4:34
8."Without Panasos"4:47
9."Hart Crane"2:48
10."Outro in No Minor"5:47
Total length:39:59

Personnel

Personnel per booklet.[5]

The Anniversary

  • James David – bass guitar
  • Josh Berwanger – guitar, vocals
  • Justin Roelofs – guitar, vocals
  • Christian Jankowski – drums
  • Adrianne Verhoeven – keyboard, vocals

Production

  • David Trumfio – producer, engineer, mixing
  • Ramon Breton – mastering
  • Thomas Humphrey – design, layout
  • The Anniversary – photography

References

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d Masley 2001, p. 28
  2. ^ a b c d DePasquale, Ron. "The Anniversary | Biography & History". AllMusic. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Rachel, T. Cole (June 23, 2016). "The Anniversary On Reuniting, Getting Ripped Off By Limp Bizkit, And The Emo Label". Stereogum. Archived from the original on July 7, 2020. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c Harkness 2000, p. 5
  5. ^ a b c Designing a Nervous Breakdown (booklet). The Anniversary. Vagrant/Heroes & Villians Records. 2000. VR342/HV003.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. ^ Morrow, Scott (January 24, 2020). "Cult emo darlings the Anniversary celebrate 20 years since their sudden rise and fall". Chicago Reader. Archived from the original on July 8, 2020. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  7. ^ a b c d Fallon, Patric (July 22, 2014). "30 Essential Songs From The Golden Era Of Emo". Stereogum. Archived from the original on May 29, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Phares, Heather. "Designing a Nervous Breakdown - The Anniversary | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on May 27, 2016. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  9. ^ Simon, Leslie (June 7, 2016). "Taste Of Tuesday: Getting the royal treatment with the Anniversary". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on June 27, 2016. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  10. ^ a b c d Clark, Taylor M. (December 31, 1999). "Anniversary: Designing a Nervous Breakdown". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on October 21, 2008. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  11. ^ a b c d Green, Stuart (May 1, 2000). "The Anniversary Designing a Nervous Breakdown". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on August 8, 2020. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  12. ^ a b c Jones, Justin W. (June 11, 2000). "The Anniversary - a Review". The Phantom Tollbooth. Archived from the original on September 21, 2011. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  13. ^ Keiper 2000, p. 20
  14. ^ a b c Hirshfeld, Josh (June 2008). "Emo Revisted: The White Boy Blues". Perfect Sound Forever. Archived from the original on December 19, 2016. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  15. ^ "News (August 1999)". The Anniversary. Archived from the original on January 12, 2001. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  16. ^ "News (October 1999)". The Anniversary. Archived from the original on January 12, 2001. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  17. ^ "News (January 2000)". The Anniversary. Archived from the original on January 12, 2001. Retrieved August 9, 2020. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; July 10, 2001 suggested (help)
  18. ^ "News (March 2000)". The Anniversary. Archived from the original on January 12, 2001. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  19. ^ a b Bishop, Robert (August 31, 2000). "Happy Anniversary". The Pitch. Archived from the original on August 18, 2019. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  20. ^ "Tourdates". The Get Up Kids. Archived from the original on June 11, 2000. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  21. ^ "Show Dates". The Anniversary. Archived from the original on October 1, 2001. Retrieved August 9, 2020. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; October 1, 2000 suggested (help)
  22. ^ Harkness, Geoff (April 10, 2003). "Vagrant Foul". The Pitch. Archived from the original on January 18, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  23. ^ "Articles containing 'The Anniversary'". Vagrant Records. Archived from the original on August 2, 2020. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  24. ^ Sacher, Andrew (October 22, 2019). "The Anniversary announce 'Designing A Nervous Breakdown' 20th anniversary shows". BrooklynVegan. Archived from the original on July 26, 2020. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  25. ^ a b c Feldmar, Marcel (April 28, 2000). "The Anniversary Designing a Nervous Breakdown". Ink 19. Archived from the original on July 18, 2019. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  26. ^ a b Hiller, Joachim (March–May 2000). "Reviews: Anniversary, The / Designing A Nervous Breakdown CD". Ox-Fanzine (in German). Archived from the original on August 8, 2020. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  27. ^ Rousseau, Rob (February 23, 2016). "The 13 best albums from the emo/pop-punk boom". A.Side TV. Archived from the original on February 22, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  28. ^ James, Patrick (October 10, 2013). "Top 20 Emo Albums in History: Complete List". LA Weekly. Archived from the original on June 26, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  29. ^ Terich, Jeff (May 16, 2016). "10 Essential Emo Albums". Treblezine. Archived from the original on December 1, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  30. ^ Nelson, Brad (February 13, 2020). "The 100 Greatest Emo Songs of All Time". Vulture. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.

Sources

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