Anberlin
Vital
Stephen Christian – Lead Vocals, Keyboards
Joseph Milligan – Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
Deon Rexroat – Bass
Nathan Young – Drums, Percussion
Christina McAlhaney – Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals
Its cold up here in Ohio right now, so we are heading south like all the Baseball teams for spring training.
This next review is for a band that formed in 1998 down in the old spring training home of my Cleveland Indians (Winter Haven,
Florida). They originally were called SaGoh 24/7, but changed their name to Anberlin in 2002 after 2 studio albums. Within
a year of forming under the name of Anberlin, the band signed with Tooth & Nail plus released their debut album. In 2005
they released their 2nd album Never Take Friendship Personal. Their
third album surfaced in 2007 and reached the top 20 in its debut week. August of that year the band signed with Universal
Republic. Their fourth album (first major release) came in 2008 while their fifth arrived in 2010. The latest album to be
released, Vital¸ hit stores in late 2012. The album features 11 tracks and spreads
42 minutes. They get the album going with “Self Starter,” a track that begins slow then shoots down the back stretch.
The vibe of the tune is great with a fast pace and a high display of energy. The music is awesome and you can get into it
really fast. The vocals are solid as well. They place in some weird vocals for the chorus section, but the way that they do
it sounds really cool. It was a strong choice to open the album up. “Little Tyrants” keeps the energy level high
as well as the pace swift. The vocals are near perfect with a pretty clear stature and it’s easy to sing right along
with them. The drums lay down a huge pallet of strikes which include a nice loud thump during a little section. The track
sounds smooth and should be a fan favorite. “Other Side” is an odd track that I couldn’t quite get into.
The track begins slowly and moves at that pace the rest of the time. It really is an odd sounding tune with sweeping vocals
and infused with strange sounds. “Someone Anyone” gets back to the high energy tunes with a fast pace. This tune
offers up multiple vocals bouncing off each other while the guitars take charge with some solid picking. The drums also hit
hard to round everything out. It sounds solid and will have you dancing and singing around within half of the track. It’s
at the top of the class. “Intentions” begins with a cool guitar before the keys enter and take things to the next
level. Once the vocals enter the fold the tunes back off for a bit, but then start back up with a key infused tune. The tune
is on the funky side of things and I think it might take a special fan to appreciate what it offers. “Innocent”
slows the album down again with loads of emotion filled vocals that are softly spoken. The music is laid with keys, percussion,
guitars, and a simple drum beat. This type of track lets you sit back and escape which might gain a small following, but I
don't see a huge one. “Desires” throws multiple vocals at you right off the bat. They sound really solid and gets
you into the track quickly along with the tunes. The track offers up energy that flows in and out of the track, but the main
attraction in this one are those vocals. They give up great lyrics that can be sung right along with the band. The guitars
have a little spot that they get to go off on while the drums strike with all their might. It’s a top notch tune. “Type
Three” is a slower tune with passionate sounding vocals that offer up simple lyrics. The song includes sweeping tunes
behind the vocals that are easy listening. “Orpheum” places more keys at the end of the track. They go along with
the vocal style that is offered up. The tunes also include some strange guitar work as well as some fast striking drums. It’s
an okay track, but nothing that really dazzles you. “Modern Age” is a descent track with some energy and a little
bit on intensity. I put this one high on the list because of that factor. The vibe is solid and the vocals are ones that you
can sing right along with. The progression of the track is awesome and really sticks. “God, Drugs & Sex” wraps
up the album with a slower number. With that said this one has some soul to it. You can feel something when you listen and
it takes you places. I really like the addition of the other vocals that pop in and out of the track. The music is simple,
but still strikes a little bit of a nerve with you. It’s a descent ending to the album and should have some fans falling
all over it. Overall the album is not bad at all. They give up an array of slow and fast tunes. They give flair to each as
they don't repeat the same idea over and over. They place multiple vocals in a few, do some key work in a couple, and lay
down smooth tunes in nearly all of them. The vocals remain clean and clear throughout the album and you can pick them up and
run with them. Musically the album has highs and then some lows. The energy level is there on several tracks, but not on others.
I realize that some of the slower tracks it’s hard to have that energy, but you still need to feel something. That might
be the only thing that hurts this album. Some of the tracks have no energy, no soul to them; you just don't feel anything
when listening. I really like a few of the tracks and see them doing work somewhere. That’s why I still think that this
album is vital to have in your collection.
Rating: 7 out of 10
Tracks to Watch:
Someone Anyone, Desires, Modern Age
Track List:
1.
Self Starter
2.
Little Tyrants
3.
Other Side
4.
Someone Anyone
5.
Intentions
6.
Innocent
7.
Desires
8.
Type Three
9.
Orpheum
10. Modern
Age
11. God,
Drugs & Sex
Website (s): www.facebook.com/anberlin
