Anberlin - New Surrender
Record Label: Universal Republic
Release Date: September 30, 2008
If you asked me to sum up my thoughts about this album in one word, that word would be "disappointment." But that's what this review is for, because disappointment isn't the end of the story. Perhaps a better way to describe it would be "a beautiful letdown" (yeah, I just made a Switchfoot reference), because although New Surrender didn't live up to my expectations, or, I imagine, those of many others, it makes me hopeful for what's to come.
New Surrender was Anberlin's major label debut, and as you might expect it's more pop-inclined than their previous releases. This alone will be enough to alienate some of their fans, especially those like me, who are fond of Cities, the band's dark, edgy, and borderline epic third album. But Anberlin doesn't stop with the pop parade; they experiment with their signature sound constantly on this album. From the dance-y "Blame Me! Blame Me!" to the halting, radio-ready "Retrace" and happy-go-lucky "Younglife" to the sinister, apocalyptic "Miserabile Visu (Ex Malo Bonum)," Anberlin takes many risks on New Surrender, risks that in my opinion, backfire. They backfire because Anberlin has always straddled the divide between indie and mainstream and with New Surrender, their sonic experiments teeter dangerously into "mainstream" territory where their hardcore fans have always feared they would eventually venture.
With all this negativity, you might get the impression that I've given up on Anberlin. Hardly. Hope, especially in this case, comes from two sources, and one is history. If you're reading this review, you're probably nearly as big a fan of Jimmy Eat World's self-titled album as I am (originally dubbed Bleed American). Criminally remembered only for their mega-hit "The Middle," that album juggled pop ("Sweetness," "If You Don't, Don't"), rock ("Bleed American," "Get It Faster") and everything in between with stunning brilliance. Nowadays it is hard to believe, but at the time, I imagine Jimmy Eat World fans were pulling their hair out. Although Bleed American was very successful, it wasn't Clarity and longstanding Jimmy Eat World fans must have thought their favorite band was going to hell in a handbasket. But what happened next? They released Futures, which at least equaled, if not surpassed the greatness of Clarity ("blasphemy!" they cry, but I'm not the only one who thinks this...). Jimmy Eat World is just one example (a fitting one, I think, considering their similarity to Anberlin); there are numerous others throughout music history. If Anberlin is half the band I think they are, I think we will see them release their Futures as their next album, something more experimental (in a good way) with the fury and passion that hooked us from the first time "Paperthin Hymn" coursed through the speakers.
The next source of hope for Anberlin's next album comes from New Surrender itself. Although it lacks the artistic vision, cohesiveness, and relentless drive of Cities, it has moments of brilliance which, if anything, make me long for the next one even more. "The Resistance," for instance, is their best album opener ever (with the exception maybe of "Godspeed"). It attacks the eardrums with unchained ferocity, jarring the listener to the bones. "Disappear" somehow combines "Ready Fuels" with "There Is No Mathematics..." and the result is nothing short of spectacular. It is easily one of their top ten best songs of all time. "Haight St." does what no one thought possible, surpassing "A Day Late" in catchiness with a .38 Special flair that puts it in prime position to dominate the airwaves when it will inevitably be released as a single. "Soft Skeletons" could easily have found a place on Cities with its urgent, soaring chorus and dark tale of a young woman chained to substance addiction.
Finally, to the old fans: I am so sad to see two reactions to New Surrender. One is abandonment. Do not give up on Anberlin! Every band has to fall short sometime. They will bounce back. The other is this kind of fake excitement, pretending that New Surrender is Anberlin's best record yet. Please, be honest. I find incredibly hard to believe that someone could listen to Cities and New Surrender back-to-back and call the latter "better" (inconceivable!). This is a slump, but as far as slumps go, it's a pretty impressive one. There are some truly great songs on this record.
To new fans: First, "Feel Good Drag" is misnamed, it's actually called "The Feel Good Drag" and it was originally released on Never Take Friendship Personal years ago. Second, ignore this review. This is a review for old fans. When I say things like "disappointment" and "fail" and "backfire," I am comparing this record to their previous releases. This album is actually one of my favorites of 2008. It is disappointing only because I was expecting it to be my favorite. You will not be wasting your money to buy it, but I would also recommend their earlier releases as well.
To Anberlin: I'm harsh because I love you guys and I know what you're capable of. I am begging you, take your time on #5, please! I don't care if it comes out late '09, '10, even 20-freaking-11! I'm not saying you didn't try on this one, but I do think you rushed it. Do all of us a favor and give the next one plenty of time. We can wait.
As an 'old' fan who owns every Anberlin CD and whilst I do think Cities is their best, I fundamentally disagree with this review. It was pretty hard to top Cities, but this album has enough merit to stand up on its own. Beautifully crafted, often excellent lyrics.
i completely agree with your review...
this band is my absoute favorite...
but you missed one major point:
the reason this album lacks the overall emotional depth of an album like Citis is because Stephen Christian wanted to have more "lyrically accessible" music
he felt the other lyrics were too personal for fans to connec with
a hope: hes trying to find a middle ground somewhere for album numero cinco
I agree with some of the comments, and 85% seems fair, though I would give it about 89%, but to suddenly switch 3/4 of the way into the review and tell everyone except old fans to ignore it seems...moronic.
Not to mention that they did NOT in fact take very many risks on this album, and the risks they DID take were the ones that worked...
I agree with some of the comments, and 85% seems fair, though I would give it about 89%, but to suddenly switch 3/4 of the way into the review and tell everyone except old fans to ignore it seems...moronic.
Not to mention that they did NOT in fact take very many risks on this album, and the risks they DID take were the ones that worked...
I agree with some of the comments, and 85% seems fair, though I would give it about 89%, but to suddenly switch 3/4 of the way into the review and tell everyone except old fans to ignore it seems...moronic.
Not to mention that they did NOT in fact take very many risks on this album, and the risks they DID take were the ones that worked...
Thanks for commenting! Maybe it was counter-productive to what I was saying the whole way through, but I didn't want someone who discovered Anberlin on New Surrender and liked that album to read my review and feel self-conscious about liking it. It's a good album. I hope my score shows that I think that.
The point of my review is to say that in comparison to what Anberlin could have put out, I felt like this record was a disappointment. Of course, a "disappointment" from Anberlin is still one of my favorite albums of the year and way better then the majority of mainstream music.
Hmmm...which songs would you say were risky and why? Because I would say that my favorite songs on New Surrender were the ones that didn't really stray too far from their earlier stuff, which by elimination leaves the more experimental, in my opinion, weaker tracks. So, I would say the songs that "worked" were the less "risky", but I'm wondering which ones you're thinking of...
As an 'old' fan who owns every Anberlin CD and whilst I do think Cities is their best, I fundamentally disagree with this review. It was pretty hard to top Cities, but this album has enough merit to stand up on its own. Beautifully crafted, often excellent lyrics.
Well, never mind, we all disagree.
Did I say that this record didn't stand on it's own? It sounds like you and I might agree more than you think we do...
I like New Surrender. I just don't think it compares with "the potential" of what their fourth album could have been.
i completely agree with your review...
this band is my absoute favorite...
but you missed one major point:
the reason this album lacks the overall emotional depth of an album like Citis is because Stephen Christian wanted to have more "lyrically accessible" music
he felt the other lyrics were too personal for fans to connec with
a hope: hes trying to find a middle ground somewhere for album numero cinco
Interesting point about the lyrics thing. I wonder though, because I tend to think that sometimes the most personal songs, ironically, are the ones that people have the strongest connections to. I think about an artist that I once met who's big in the Christian world, Brandon Heath, who told me that he didn't want to record his song "I'm Not Who I Was" because it was so personal and he didn't think people would be able to relate to it. But that song was huge on Christian stations, because people really connected to it.
I think maybe we're all not so different from each other as we'd like to think, and when a musician, or a writer, is very honest about their experiences and their struggles and their pain, that is what resonates most clearly with us.
Interesting point about the lyrics thing. I wonder though, because I tend to think that sometimes the most personal songs, ironically, are the ones that people have the strongest connections to. I think about an artist that I once met who's big in the Christian world, Brandon Heath, who told me that he didn't want to record his song "I'm Not Who I Was" because it was so personal and he didn't think people would be able to relate to it. But that song was huge on Christian stations, because people really connected to it.
I think maybe we're all not so different from each other as we'd like to think, and when a musician, or a writer, is very honest about their experiences and their struggles and their pain, that is what resonates most clearly with us.
Sorry, just sharing some of my two cents...=)
yea...
its funny how that sort of irony happens
i think the other weakness in NS was that it was rushed, not given the time it deserved
the record was recorded about a year after the release of Cities
the band had not experienced enough to write another emotionally powrful record as it was
and Stephens reservations only wekaened it further
i blame te major label system...
they usually either slow down a bands writing process completely (The Starting LIne, Saosin)
or try to rush it to the point where they cant write a good enough record (anberlin)
very rarely does an album come out on a major label BOTH in a timely manner and maintains a preservation of the groups sound (Rocket Summer, Armor For Sleep)
i dunno how people think cities is better then this
lyrically new surrender is so fucking good and i can say "the breaking, breathe, younglife, haight st" are probably in my top 15 songs i heard 08
the only song that has the same feel as them is a whisper and clamour
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