Anberlin releases new alternative to fans looking for an edge

By: Robert Teal

Posted: 3/30/09

OK, due to budget cuts, it falls to me and me alone to write some A&E this week. This is my first attempt to write an album review, so go easy on me.

Ever since I found them my sophomore year in high school, Anberlin has been one of my favorite alt-rock bands. I first started listening to them when their sophomore album "Never Take Friendship Personal" came out, and I was hooked. They had everything I wanted in a band, and nothing that I didn't. Guitar solos, heavy riffs, driving rhythm section and just a wee bit of synthesizer: to me, that is the successful formula for a heavy rock band.

As for the new CD, called "New Surrender," Anberlin dishes up more of the same. The opening track is like an audio assault on the senses, with all sorts of sounds coming from the speakers. As soon as you begin to think: yeah, this is what I thought they were going to sound like, just some more pop-rock, they throw in a heavy metal breakdown. The lead singer, Stephen Christian, has one of the most haunting and emotional voices I've ever heard, and throughout the CD, he uses it for the maximum effect.

While the first track is extremely heavy, the second track starts out with a beautiful length of picking on the guitar; but by the chorus, the sound is full-blown again. This album is full of these mind games, picking the tempo up and then dropping it through the floor. No doubt it will keep you guessing at what will happen next. Also on this album is a cover of one of their first real hits, "Feel Good Drag." It might sound the same to some, but there are a lot more delay effects than on the original version, which was on "Never Take Friendship Personal." There are also a few slower, softer acoustic songs (a la "Cities," their previous album) which have a lot more depth than, say, Fall Out Boy goes unplugged. That isn't a real album of course, but my point is that when listening to Anberlin's softer songs, one can tell that these are there roots. (Anberlin was originally started as an acoustic side project with lead singer Stephen Christian and guitarist Joey Milligan.)

Overall, a great buy. It gets five stars, mainly because it exceeded my artistic expectations for this band. Instead of just settling into a genre, they continue to grow musically. If you listened to them before this, you will not be disappointed; if you've never heard them before, this is a great album to pick up and become a fan. Come on, guys. It's $10 bucks on iTunes.