Anberlin hasn't been around long enough to be considered seasoned in the rock scene, but the group is definitely getting close to entering its golden years of rock-age. With its first major label album, "New Surrender," the band takes a cue from George W. Bush and stays the course, sticking by the sounds and techniques that have served them well for so many years as a pseudo-underground Christian rock act.
The opening track from "New Surrender," entitled "The Resistance," starts off quite hopefully, with an up-tempo drum beat and palm-muted guitars backing up lead singer Steven Christian's enticingly unique voice. His nasal-sounding vocal lines complement the distorted riffing of guitarists Joseph Milligan and Christian McAlhaney, but the melodies he belts out are just short of being memorable.
"New Surrender" continues with a ballad-esque love song called "Breaking," the chorus of which, fittingly goes: "You make breaking hearts look so easy/ It seems like you've done this before." As catchy as the chorus is, the tune needs the tiniest bit of something extra to push it from "very good" to "excellent," a trend which makes itself apparent as the album continues.
The first single, "Feel Good Drag," which is actually a re-recording of a 45-RPM single of the same name, is definitely the most attention-grabbing cut off the album. Just as all the other tracks fall short of being truly great, "Feel Good Drag" succumbs to being ever-so-slightly too generic.
"Haight St," a direct reference to the infamous San Francisco neighborhood, is unashamedly pop-oriented, with hand claps making up a large part of the bridge, but remains endearing enough to avoid being trite and cliché. The lyrics from the chorus, as recycled as they may be, are still sweet and seem heartfelt enough, with Christian singing, "Let's you and me make a night of it/ Old enough to know but too young to care/ Who cares if there's trouble tonight?/ Because the kids are alright." OK, the song gets a little too saccharine, but who doesn't enjoy a guilty pleasure every once in a while?
While Anberlin has always been known for its more rocking songs, "New Surrender" sees a bevy of softer and more emotional ventures. "Breathe" is the first taste of a new, more sensitive Anberlin, and it goes down smooth and easy. That said, the lyrics and guitar lines are nothing too remarkable, and while it's certainly pleasant to listen to, it's nothing that will have listeners hitting the repeat button. As good as the track may be, those in search of a real heart-warmer would be better served by a classic Jimmy Eat World ballad.
The album concludes with "miserabile visu (ex malo bonum)," a feeble attempt at an epic closing number. Even though the lyrics deal with the vast ideas of life death and youth, the music that accompanies them is mundane enough to bore the listener before they get a chance to take in what's being said.
"New Surrender" is a solid album in the ‘good' category. It has the smooth choruses, distorted riffs and pounding drums of a good rock record, but the writing just isn't up to snuff with what it takes to make and break a band into the popular scene. Those looking to get a taste of a band that has pretty vocals and a positive vibe should check out Anberlin's 2002 debut, "Blueprints For The Black Market." As is frequently the case, the band produced better music when it wasn't afraid of letting anyone down.
