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Genre: alternative rock |
Well, all you diehard Anberlin fans, at the end of the month Anberlin will be releasing their new album on their new label, Universal Republic. In many ways, this album is a reflection of that step-up in the recording industry. If you always thought Anberlin was catchy, New Surrender is catchier. The great thing is that, aside from the misstep that is “Haight St.” Anberlin hasn’t lost who they are either.
In an AP interview that lead vocalist Stephen Christian gave in 2007 for the album Cities, he stated that their music had matured, because “the first album, Blueprints for the Black Market (2003), was childish in the fact that it was Man vs. World. The last album, Never Take Friendship Personal (2005), was Man vs. Man. Cities, however, is Man vs. Self.” New Surrender is both a reflection of that progression as well as the next step forward. You can essentially divide the first six songs up into chronological order:
Man vs. World: “The Resistance”
Man vs. Man: “Breaking,” “Blame Me! Blame Me!”
Man vs. Self: “Retrace,” “Feel Good Drag,” “Disappear”
The latter six songs are the step forward – as Christian sings in “Breathe,” This long of a struggle/ Finally opened up my eyes/ Revolution’s not easy/ With a civil war on the inside. With Man and Self both giving up the fight, Man feels as though he can find a purpose for his life (“Burn Out Brighter”), remember the happiness of his past without dwelling on the bad (“Younglife”), and generally enjoy life again (“Haight St.”). And just when you thought that Anberlin was taken over by aliens with all of this happiness going on, they come out with what is arguably their darkest song to date (“Soft Skeletons”) and a grand apocalyptic finale (“Misearbile Visu”).
This album is not Cities, and don’t make the mistake of hoping for Cities before you listen to it. Unlike some bands out there (I’m looking at you, Coldplay), Anberlin has always been able to grow musically while staying true to themselves. The first six songs show that Anberlin can even go backwards and still come up with music that sounds fresh.
It seems like a ballsy move to include some of the ‘happier’ songs on this album, but the directional shifts and the changes in sound impressed me so much that I could easily ignore “Haight St.” The addition of Christian McAlhaney has given the band a lot more depth than I thought he would. The remake of “Feel Good Drag” is an excellent example – I’ve always liked the song, but the old version seemed a bit too sing-songy. This new version has a desperation, and the chorus, Was this over before it ever began? practically demands an answer.
Furthermore, Stephen Christian’s singing style has changed considerably. I could hear a smoother blues tint in “Retrace” and he proves he can hit the high notes in “Misearbile Visu (Ex Malo Bonum).” As Christian’s voice was once the most distinctive part of this band, its changes have only added to their general sound. This is no longer an indie band; they’re a band confident in themselves and in their wider appeal.
Do yourself a favor and don’t give up on these guys just because they’re signed to a big label – they just might surprise you.
Tags: anberlin, new surrender
I’ve heard the album, and the worst part about it is the cover art (let’s be honest – that picture is irrelevant to everything).
I would like to say that people shouldn’t fear “Haight St.”. I happen to thoroughly enjoy the happy tune from a band that usually delivers a “riff, rock out, and quiet verse” pattern in a minor key.
You’ll find this disc offers the musical diversity that you’ve never fully gotten from Anberlin – and it’s a real treat.
This could be Anberlin’s best album so far, and is their best chance, thus far, to reach the mainstream.
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@matt: That’s a great point about the cover art – I didn’t even pick up on that! Then again, I blame the record co. because I’m sure the band probably didn’t even choose it.
I don’t fear “Haight St.” I just think it could have been done better. We’ve heard some happier tunes from Anberlin before, and they always had a finesse to them. While I’m not objecting to the lyrics of “Haight St.” something about the arrangement struck me as false.
I have to REALLY agree about diversity – and isn’t it great that they’re finally showcasing that diversity? I’m so glad this is their first mainstream album, because Cities would have just confused people.
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the cover art is relevant actually, the idea of it is to be the exact opposite of cities, and the picture reflects it perfectly
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I agree with Brandon, i find the cover art to be one of the most relevant things to the album as it shows the band’s change of style and is the key concept to showing their change from cities. i think all cover art is relevant as it is the first thing that is seen and i the only thing to draw a new audience in. Cover art is never irrelevant, if it were then everyone would be selling albums with white backgrounds and album names, the cover is what identifies the artist and what defines their image. It is never irrelevant.
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