“Like many fans, I sighed with a heavy heart and was ready to remove Anberlin from my music section of my Facebook when I heard they had signed to a major label. Then they recorded their newest album, New Surrender. We all know the horror stories of the indie bands we love signing to a major label and making an album so different that we’re ready to smash our iPod under our worn Chuck Taylors.”
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Like many fans, I sighed with a heavy heart and was ready to remove Anberlin from my music section of my Facebook when I heard they had signed to a major label. Then they recorded their newest album, New Surrender.
We all know the horror stories of the indie bands we love signing to a major label and making an album so different that we’re ready to smash our iPod under our worn Chuck Taylors.
So, as I followed the development of the CD, all I was hoping for was a style of music I recognized.
But as I listened to New Surrender for the first time, I was anything but disappointed.
The greatest thing about New Surrender is that it combines everything that was great about all of Anberlin’s other albums.
It’s got the musical force of Blueprints for the Black Market, the variety of Never Take Friendship Personal, and the lyrical goodness of Cities.
As soon as I hit the play button, I knew this would be good.
The opening track, The Resistance, starts with whipping guitar chords and a drum beat so intense you know it’s something that could only come from the mind of drummer Nate Young.
If you ever get to see Anberlin in concert, watch Young behind his kit.
He doesn’t just play the drums: he puts on his entire own show.
Another thing that must be addressed is Anberlin’s remake of their own song Feel Good Drag.
One has to wonder why they would remake a song that’s only a few years old that was already a single..
Vocalist Stephen Christian screams a little less, and the intro is a little different, but it still gets the job done.
New Surrender has a perfect combination of upbeat fast songs, acoustic gems and slow paced ballads.
Breathe sounds like a lost song from Never Take Friendship Personal, and, frankly, I’m OK with that.
The toe thumping Haight Street is so happy-go-lucky and sugary that the listener may go into a diabetic shock.
Plus, any song that features rhythmic clapping is instantly 10 times better in my book.
And once again, Anberlin ends their album with an opus Miserabile Visu (Ex Malo Bonum), clocking in at just over six minutes.
The subject matter is a little heavy. The apocalypse is not something you expect to hear about on an indie album.
But, the song is soothing enough that you eventually stop listening to the lyrics and just enjoy it.
Overall, New Surrender is a great effort from Anberlin.
They managed to survive the major label curse and come out swinging.
Kudos to them.
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