Brought this over from a discontinued blog of mine. Let’s keep it all in one place shall we? :)
03 Jul 2010 Leave a Comment
anberlin – Cities Review
March 27, 2007
| Vocals | 8.0 |
| Musicianship | 9.0 |
| Lyrics | 9.5 |
| Production | 10 |
| Creativity | 8.5 |
| Lasting Value | 9.0 |
| Overall | 9.0 |
I’ve known anberlin ever since I got my hands on a Tooth and Nail sampler a few years ago. I had really high hopes for their first album Blueprints for the Black Market and wasn’t disappointed. By the time their second album, Never Take Friendship Personal came out I was officially a fan. While not always spinning in my CD player, I’ve been hooked ever since like a kid to Fruit Loops. The pop sensibilities of every song are complimented by the various aggressive instrumental voices. Cities, anberlin’s newest offering, is no exception. Musically anberlin has matured in the way every band should. Their first album was extremely polished; their second, the antithesis of the first; finally, Cities is the culmination of both.
The disc starts out with the track, “(Début),” with its ambient instrumental noise and city soundscapes that quickly build and then move right into one of the albums more driving songs, “Godspeed.” The drums of, Nathan Young, are the major driving force behind this track and keep it going full bore until the end. The poppy and infectious chorus to “Adelaide” will have you singing along without even thinking about it. It appears to me that all of the songs finally lead to the last two tracks, “Dismantle.Repair.” and “(*Fin).” The phrase “patron saint of lost causes” runs through both songs giving the listener a sense that both of these tracks should be listened to together. The sentiment echoes that of the writer of Ecclesiastes in questioning what this world is all about. The overall lyrical feel of the album is one that seems to plague lyricist Stephen Christian. He seems to be caught in a world where he is not “Christian enough for Christians and too Christian for the secular world.” I wonder if there’s a pun in there somewhere… The Special Edition (S.E.) boasts three extra tracks (and thus is well worth the extra moolah). Two of which are covers: “There is a Light that Never Goes Out” (The Smiths) and “The Promise” (When in Rome). Both decent in their own right but not far from the originals.
Cities is a dichotomy of a concept album. There is no overt overarching theme present for the whole disc, however, the messages and unique voice of each song creates an array of characters that seem to thread everything together like a patchwork quilt. It is as if Cities is about the struggle of man in a concrete jungle. I had to listen to this disc a few times to adequately perceive its message and quality and my appeal to you is to do the same. With several sessions under my belt I feel safe to say that every track deserves to be here and is wonderful in its own right. Some tracks have clung better to my brain’s inner soundtrack than others, but as a whole this offering is nearly flawless. I will be shocked if this disc doesn’t make it on many “Best of 2007” lists come December. I know it will probably be on mine.
Pick tracks: Dismantle.Repair.; (*Fin); Whisper & A Clamor; Reclusion
anberlin is:
Stephen Christian – Vocals, Guitar
Deon Rexroat – Bass
Joseph Milligan – Guitar
Nathan Young – Drums
anberlin – Cities Release Date: February 20, 2007
Track listing:
1. (Début)
2. Godspeed
3. Adelaide
4. A Whisper & A Clamor
5. The Unwinding Cable Car
6. There is No Mathematics to Love and Loss
7. Hello Alone
8. Alexithymia
9. Reclusion
10. Inevitable
11. Dismantle.Repair.
12. (*Fin)
Special edition bonus tracks:
13. Uncanny
14. There is a Light that Never Goes Out (The Smiths Cover)
15. The Promise” (When in Rome Cover)
anberlin Related links:
anberlin official website
Cities official website
anberlin
Tooth & Nail Records
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