Top 10 Albums of 2008

Well the year is winding down finally. Snow has began falling (At least where I am...), people have finally taken down their Halloween decorations (The Christmas ones don't come down until February). So in honor of our annual celebration of Christmas and the new year, I'm going to list what I feel are the ten best Christian albums of 2008. Obviously, since this is all based upon my opinions, you may have different choices and different reasons. I have not heard every Christian album that was released this year so I do not profess to have overall judgment. Feel free to leave any suggestions for albums I did not put on the list, since I am just a man (Much like The Classic Crime song says) and am not able to listen to every CD ever recorded.

10: Emery-While Broken Hearts Prevail:
You might find it surprising that I even considered this album, since every song on this album is a cliched love song. However, Emery manages to add a twist to their music that gives it an edge that very few love songs possess. I had long anticipated this album but was expecting to find a droned out and boring album much like I'm Only a Man but was pleasantly surprised when I found my prediction was incorrect.

9: Disciple-Southern Hospitality:
Yet another long anticipated album for 2008 by a band known for their hard-rock sound and loud vocals. The song starts out with a upbeat and fast song titled the same as the album that hooks you right in. Other songs like Romance Me, Liar, and Falling Star are also very rock sounding songs to get you going. I do feel though that Disciple moved in a different direction with this album, away from their heavy stuff into a world of more simple rock, a direction I feel is perfect for a band with their talents.

8: Falling Up-Discover the Trees Again:
There are few things that annoy me more than when bands produce a "Greatest Hits" album after only a couple of CD's. In Falling Up's case however, I feel they chose the perfect songs for this album and even though they are a relatively new band, this album is an excellent collection of their best songs yet (And hopefully there will be many more to come). With hit songs like Hotel Aquarium, Good Morning Planetarium, Moonlight, and Searchlights this is a perfect album for someone that wants Falling Up's best music without buying four albums.

7:The Classic Crime-The Silver Cord:
Although I have previously done a review on this album and consider it to be very well crafted, I feel it still was not good enough to compare to some of the other albums this year, which has what caused this album to get a low spot on the chart. But regardless of the location, this album was still beyond any expectations I had for a band that I barely listened to prior to this release. With matured vocals, lyrics, and sound, The Classic Crime truly outdid themselves with songs like Just a Man, Gravedigging, and Everything. I recommend this album to anyone that enjoys both hard rock, and soft, slower rock with meaningful lyrics.

6:Sanctus Real-We Need Each Other:
I have been a Sanctus Real fan for some time now. However, I was disappointed by their previous album, The Face of Love. So when I heard they were expected to release a new album, I braced myself for yet another let down. After hearing the opening track of Turn On the Lights I knew that this album was a large step above The Face of Love. Although the rest of the album does not have the same upbeat, rock sound as its opening track, songs like We Need Each Other, Black Coal, Sing, and What You're Doing are all thought provoking songs that are messages both to God, and about Him.

5:The Afters-Never Going Back to OK:
When I purchased this album, I did something I never did before. I bought the CD without listening to even one sample of it on iTunes. And when I put the CD in my car's player, and heard the opening track of Secret Parade I had a feeling I had just wasted $14. Thankfully though, the next song, Never Going Back to OK, brought back my faith in my purchase, and so did every song after it. Other songs I found particularly well crafted include Tonight, We Are the Sound, Summer Again, and the amusing single, MySpace Girl. Even though I do not feel that this album beat The Afters previous album, I Wish We All Could Win, I do feel this is a very well made CD and is worth any amount of money you pay for it, well anything reasonable that is.

4:Pillar-For the Love of the Game:
Before this album (Which I bought the same day as The After's) I never really cared for many of Pillar's songs. And with the exception of songs like Bring Me Down, Frontline, and Fireproof I rarely listened to them at all. For the Love of the Game however, brought a new spark of interest in Pillar's music. This album is a bit "softer" from Pillar's other stuff, but that's not to say they didn't pull off their classic hard rock sound. Songs like For the Love of the Game, Reckless Youth, The Runaway, and my personal favorite Throwdown, combine the classic Pillar sound that we've all come to love, with meaningful lyrics about things like depression, falling from Grace, redemption, and other problems that many youth people face today. One of the songs on the album, Turn it Up, I find to be particularly interesting. This song is a large combination of various lines from other Christian artists like Underoath, RED, Kutless, Disciple, and many more. A song that is both interesting, and has a very original idea behind it that helps this album earn the #4 spot on this chart.

3:Remedy Drive-Daylight Is Coming:
In my opinion, there are very few good worship bands in the Christan music scene. Bands like Chris Tomlin or Matthew West are very boring in my opinion and make me want to switch the station over hearing their message. However, Remedy Drive, along with a select few other bands like Jeremy Camp and David Crowder Band remain a favorite of mine when it comes to true worship music. Remedy Drive is still a relatively new band that very few have heard of, but I assure you, if you like bands like Sanctus Real or The Afters, you will not be disappointed by this album. Songs like Stand Up, What Happens (At the End), Something Made to Last, and Heartbeat combine an upbeat, and fun melody, with meaningful lyrics about God and Heaven. Other songs like Daylight and All Along have a slower melody, but still have a deep and powerful message to them that I guarantee will leave you smiling.

2:Search the City-A Fire So Big the Heavens Can See It:
If you have ever heard this band (Which I doubt you have) you might be surprised that I like them. They have a popish sound to them and all of their songs sound very similar. But much like Falling Up, this band has managed to gain my attention through their witty lyrics, and extravagant titles. Some of my favorite songs from the album include Son of a Gun, Ambulance Chaser, Talk is Cheap and I've Got Expensive Taste, The Rescue, The Streetlight Diaries, and Clocks and Timepieces. So if you like breakup songs about girls (or guys) that have hurt you in the past, you'll love this album as much as I do, but if you happen to live a perfect life and have never experienced heartache and don't like repetitive music, stray far from this album.

1:Anberlin-New Surrender:
Well we have come to the number one song at last, and it should come as to no surprise that it just happens to be Anberlin's. Since this was the first CD I ever reviewed, I will be brief on the gloating of how great Anberlin is. Songs like The Resistance, The Feel Good Drag, and Burn Out Brighter (Northern Lights) bring out the classic Anberlin hard rock sound with their angry lyrics directed toward society and that "special" person in your life. While songs like Breaking, Retrace, and Haight Street are of a more soft nature, yet still provide you with lyrical content about lost love, and falling back into love. So overall I feel this is the best album of 2008, but I suppose you could say I am a bit bias with my love for Anberlin being taken into credit. But I assure you, if any other band could pull off an album like this the same year it switched record companies, I would by no means pass it up quickly as a candidate.

Anberlin: Cities

I understand that my last few posts have been of a very, unhappy and serious nature, which is why I'm going to take a quick break to lighten the mood a bit with my favorite album. The album of which I speak is of course Cities by Anberlin. This album has a wide variety of song themes ranging from the fast paced and upbeat, to the slow reflective type, to the down right depressing songs that require a stockpile of tissues to get through. This diverse range of tempo and emotions makes this album a great exception in a world full of rock bands and love songs. I feel this album tells a story, it may not be obvious but after observing the meanings behind each song, I have seen a great connection between many of the songs. I will explain this along the way in the review and will have a much more in dept amount of input for each song on the album.

(Début)

I've noticed lately that songs like Debut are a common trend in the world of music. I have nothing against opening an album with a short, quick instrumental song. Songs like these remind me of a band opening at a concert or before a live show. Debut starts out with very dramatic sounding music backed up by an electric guitar. Soon other things like sirens and at the very end, a brief acoustic guitar before quickly jumping right into the next song on the CD, Godspeed. Rating-4.5/5

Godspeed

Very seldom do you find a a true rock anthem that has as much pep talk as a college football coach does in a playoff game. Yet Godspeed pulls this off better than any song I have yet to hear. Godspeed's melody picks up right where Debut left off, with heavy guitar riffs and drums. This beat is continued throughout the song with encouraging vocals from Stephen Christian in the choruses that make you feel like you can take on the world. The meaning behind the song is one of the most powerful ones I have ever heard, and by far one of the most inspiring. The first verse makes references to various celebrities like Michael Jackson in "Burning down neverland" or Christa Paffgen in "When needles and lovers collapse on guilty beds". The verse also makes general references to substance abuse, promiscuity, and the lack of self-control among many Hollywood stars. We then get to the chorus, which contains my favorite line and one of my favorite sayings. It is a mockery to Billy Joel's song Only the Good Die Young, a song about a man trying to convince a woman to sleep with him since only the good die young. However in Godspeed they counteract that statement with a loud, quick, and very clear message of "They lied, when they said the good die young!" The next verse is a series of rhetorical questions being asked to someone pursing a life of fame. He also makes a reference to the Chelsea Hotel in New York City, a hotel where many celebrities have stayed (such as Christa Paffgen). The mood of the song is intended to be that of empowering to everyone. It is a song that's meant to inspire people to stand up for themselves and not fall into temptation just because other people want you to. That you should do what is right in God's eyes, not in people's eyes. Rating-5/5

Adelaid

As you've probably guessed, I've never been a fan of cliched love songs. And sadly, Anberlin falls short of pulling off a successful one like so many others before them. The melody is the major thing that turned me off to this song. It's very pop sounding and repetitive and gets boring quickly. The meaning however is something that's catchy, and can applied to almost anyone (including myself). He sings about a girl that led him along for a long time and he would constantly fall for her. But soon he sees her deceit and gets fed up with her, and sees how the only reason she acts as if she likes him, is because she always needs somebody around to comfort her, and he doesn't plan on being her puppet anymore. One thing I found interesting, is that you would think in a song like this the mood would be that of the sad genre, but you get the exact opposite. It is a very happy, and uplifting song, which I can only explain as being because he is finally over this girl he liked for so long. Rating 4/5

A Whisper & a Clamor

Very rarely does a song come around that is perfect in every aspect, but A Whisper & a Clamor meets very one of my classifications with perfection and a big red check in every box on the list. The melody of the song starts out soft, yet still manages to be fast and upbeat. However once it gets to the chorus, it reaches a climax and explodes with loud vocals and gives it a true rock punch. The lyrics and meaning behind the song are probably my favorite part though. It is a message to the youth in particular. It's a song to teenagers and even Christians in general to let your voices be heard. This is seen in a line very similar to a Psalm, "Clap your hands all ye children There's a clamor in your whispering Clap your hands tonight Hear what the silence screams". The mood of the song is also very captivating. It is very happy, and uplifting, and is intended to inspire people to stand up for what they believe and not give into social norms that may be against their beliefs. Rating-5/5

The Unwinding Cable Car

Very rarely do I like albums that have a really good, fast song, be followed by a slow, dramatic one. But then again, The Unwinding Cable Car is a very good song and was planned perfectly into the album. The melody of the song is a very mellow, yet even paced acoustic guitar with very soft vocals. Later on however the melody changes to include drums, a faster pace, and the vocals get much bolder. The lyrics to the song are some of the most inspiring I've heard from Anberlin, which make it a perfect love song. With such lines like "You're so brilliant, don't soon forget, You're so brilliant, grace marked your heart" or "This is the correlation of salvation and love (Don't drop your arms), Don't drop your arms, I'll guard your heart, With quiet words I'll lead you in" it becomes hard to not be impressed by the talented song writing skills of Anberlin. However, the song does have a duel meaning to it. I feel it can either be interpreted toward a specific lover that you wish to tell how you feel about them. Or I think it can also be a song toward a best friend that may be lost in addiction or abuse, and needs someone to help them through a rough time. The mood of the song is meant to be very reflecting and thought provoking. It is hard though, to pin a specific mood onto the song, since I feel the the song is something very open ended and can't be viewed as being happy or sad, since it will very from person to person. Rating-4/5

There is No Mathematics to Love or Loss

This song opens up, what I like to consider to be a short story that consists of not only this song, but the next two after that. The melody of the song is very chaotic, and changes all the time from drums, to guitar, to strange electronic noises. The melody is the only thing that prevents the song from getting a high rating, since I feel it could have been constructed much better to fit the lyrics. Like I said, I feel that the meaning behind the song is the first part in a three part series. In this song the man is quite obviously angry at his former spouse for leaving him. He then proceeds to use this anger in such a manner as to destroy any evidence of her, and try his best to forget her. And with such great lines like "There is algebra in gasoline. Burning pictures, pages and photographs. Fire can make a conscience clean. (Strike the match, we'll see)" it's hard to imagine someone not liking this song after going through a breakup. The mood of the song does contradict the meaning though. Since the mood is almost that of happiness, and the only explanation I have is that it is sort of a relief that the girl is out of his life now? Rating-3.5/5

Hello Alone

We now get to the second part of the story, which also happens to be the climax of it. Hello Alone is by far Anberlin's most depressing song they have yet to write. This makes the melody of the song to be very dramatic, with a very dark sound to it. The lyrics to the are also very dark and powerful. I feel that this is the part of the story where man's adrenaline rush is out after burning everything (But hey who can blame him?) he has realized that he's become alone in the world and is searching for something. And with lines like "Depression is the unholy ghost In the coastal towns of ahead Though I know a thousand names I see my only friend I've got the gun All I need is ten cents for the bullet I feel helpless, sleeping at best, waiting for your return Are you ever coming home?" the message becomes very evident. In the end though, the mood changes from that of desperation, to being very uplifting in happy due to the change in instruments. This leaves you with a good feeling because you know that the person found what he was looking for, which was either God, a person, or both. Rating-4/5

Alexithymia

Now comes the conclusion of our short story. And what better way to end it than with a medical term that nobody knows what it means? There isn't much of a melody in this song, with just simple guitar riffs and drums beats that have a classic Anberlin rock sound. The meaning however is very clear in the title. (That is of course if you know what alexithymia means) Alexithymia is a medical term for somebody that lacks all and any emotion. This ties into the song with lines like "With downcast eyes, There's more to living than being alive". Basically meaning, you need to do more with your life than simply have a pulse running through your veins. I feel this is a conclusion to the story in a sense that the man we have been following the past few songs, finally has a family, but now his life has become boring and repetitive. He's fallen into a monotonous cycle where family values don't matter anymore and the family is no longer a connection of a husband, wife, and children, but individuals all living separate lives but live under the same roof. Okay, maybe I'm stretching it a bit too far, but it's a nice touch isn't it? The mood of the song is much like that of Hello Alone where it's very sad and depressing at first, but then at the very end turns out to be hopefull that change will occur, and that our family will fix their connection issues. Rating-4.5/5

Reclusion

We now arrive at Anberlin's strangest song. Reclusion's melody, meaning, and mood are all very out of place on this album and give Anberlin a much, darker look to them. The melody of the song sounds much like an electronic or techno style. I give Anberlin credit for going out of their comfort zone and trying something a bit different, however I do think they placed it in the wrong place on the album. The meaning of the song is also very strange. From what I can gather, it is about girl that hides her secrets and possibly former relationships? But with lines like "There's an art in seclusion. Production in depression if a stranger turns up missing, this song is my confession Tell the tales of the trail of dead, lovers learn from slower hands Losing self in myself, inner demons make demands" I think it's up to the listener to fill in the blanks. The song doesn't have much of a mood, but judging by the lyrics, it would be that of anger most likely. Rating-4/5

Inevitable

This is a song very similar to The Unwinding Cable Car, in both meaning, and melody. It is a simple love song with an acoustic guitar to set the melody. The meaning is also that of a cliched love song of wanting to stay in the moment when you are with your lover during a time of happiness. But with lines like "I wanna be your last, first kiss That you'll ever have" it's even hard for me to not like this song to some degree. Rating-4/5

Dismantle. Repair.

Just when you thought Anberlin was done handing out rocking songs, they pull off one last encore of a classic Anberlin beat, but with a twist to it. The melody of the song is truly unique among Anberlin's music. The song starts out very slow, and is slowly built up until it reaches its peak at the chorus, when Christian lets his voice run lose in a series of fast paced lines that comes as a pleasant surprise to any new listener. The rest of the song's melody is that of a rock sound, with the occasional shouting of vocals and heavy drum beats. The meaning is also that of an Anberlin classic, but with a twist to it. This time Christian sings of a girl (What a surprise) that he has spent much time with and has shared many secrets, but the only thing this girl wants to do is rip him apart and change him. Now the twist is that you cannot tell if he is saying this is a good thing that shes "dismantling" him to become a better person, or if she's only doing it to turn him into what she wants him to be and manipulate him in ways she shouldn't. I personally feel Christian is saying that he is glad he has found a girl that wants to turn him into a better person, and with lines like "Save me from myself, Save me from myself, my view becomes a bit more apparent. However, the other side can also be defended in lines like Help me save me from myself""Hands, like secrets, are the hardest thing to keep from you, Lines and phrases, like knives, your words can cut me through". I suppose in the end the meaning all comes down to personal opinion, and can be a song that either reflects your current relationship, or a past one. There isn't a mood to the song, which is one of the reasons it's difficult to distinguish the meaning of the song, which also leaves me wondering if Anberlin did this on purpose? Rating-5/5

*Fin

I'm beginning to get the sense that Anberlin has a thing for combining French words and random characters to create their song titles. When I first saw that this song was nearly nine minutes long, I had a bad feeling that I was just about to waste yet more of my time on a slow, boring song. I ended up being correct about the slow part, but this epic song was far from boring. Anberlin continues to amaze me in their creativeness when it comes to song composer. Fin is divided into three sections, the first one consists of a very slow melody much like Inevitable. The second section is where the true creative genius is shown when you here the sound of a children's choir break out so unexpectedly that you can't help by feel relaxed and at peace, yet still fell a bit creeped out. The third part of the song is much like the first, except with more instruments and a slightly heavier sound. The meaning of the song is very complex, but seems to be about various children of different backgrounds that all have the common problem of pain and the feeling of abandonment. The mood of the song is what really captures you though. It is very dramatic and is meant for you to think about your life, and think about the people that may be less fortunate than you are. Rating-5/5

In the end, I feel this is Anberlin's best album, and you will by no means be disappointed by it. Anberlin has shown time after time their creativeness and ability to go outside of their comfort zone which is something rare among bands. I applaud them on their effort and work put into this album, which gives it the rank as my second favorite album I have yet to hear. Overall Rating-4.5/5

Falling Up: Dawn Escapes

I apologize for the tardiness of this post, the past couple of weeks I have been dealing with school work, medical issues, and relationships and have found very little time for hobbies. However writing is the best way I know how to escape things, so I have forced myself to sit down and make time and relief some stress. So in honor of my own personal renaissance I will write this review on Falling Up's second album, Dawn Escapes. Falling Up is a band most people would not expect me to like, since well, I hate pop music with a deep passion to such an extent that I would start to believe in capital punishment after listening to a Jonas Brother's or OneRepublic song. However, in Falling Up's case, their songs are emotionally driven, and have some of the most symbolic and inspirational lyrics I have ever heard. In other words, they aren't your average love song about a girl you saw at a party last night. Their songs seem very simple at first, typically with one word titles. Yet when you truly listen and look closely at the lyrics, they take a much deeper, complex meaning. But like most bands, Falling Up has its own Achilles heal. The lead singer (Tom Cox) has not been able to escape the stereotypical pop singers voice, not a good thing to possess in my reviews.

Searchlights

Most bands start out with a catchy, upbeat song to open an album, but Falling Up seems to lack this quality in this album. Searchlights is, in my opinion, the worst song on the album, but well, it does have a lot to compete against. The melody of the song is rather unorganized and constantly changing, it's typically fast paced and heavier sounding than most of their songs, yet the vocals don't compliment the volume or beat of it very well. The meaning however is a Falling Up classic. They use a lot of symbolism in their music, and this song is no different. The song is from God's point of view, and how He is looking at someone that refuses to believe in Him. God tells him how "If you want to breathe will you just let me know" and that once he does breathe Him in, he'll never want to go back. The mood isn't existent, something very rare for Falling Up, which is why this song loses a lot of credits for me. Rating-3/5

Exhibition

Exhibition is by far, my favorite Falling Up song. It is masterly crafted in all aspects and is a very comforting song to listen to. The melody starts out very slow, with only a piano, but quickly changes to a classic Falling Up rock sound with an electronic twist. The melody sets up perfectly for the lyrics and compliments the mood and the meaning with perfect eloquence due to its changing of vocal tone and the use of the piano. The meaning is so complex in this song, that even I had a hard time determining it. But in the end, I saw that it is about someone that has been hurt and has been spending a lot of time grieving but wants to move on yet doesn't know how. So the singer tells the person to let go of everything they use to know, and that the blood of Jesus will help heal the pain and get you out of the emotional fog and that "The healing starts the motion floods your hope". The mood is the thing that captured me though. Like most Falling Up songs, it reminds me of the ocean, and more specifically, walking on an empty beach at sunset reflecting on your thoughts and on God. Needless to say this has been a very comforting song for me to listen to the past couple of weeks, and I recommend it to anyone going through pain, especially one that involves a personal relationship. Rating-5/5

Flights

Now we're back to another mediocre song on the album. Flights' melody is much like Searchlights with a strange rock sound that doesn't match well with the lyrics. Even the meaning is similar to Searchlights', being about a person that's alone, and God is telling them that He is everywhere and that he truly is not alone in this world. The mood is also the same as Searchlights' so I don't think I need to describe it again. Rating-3/5

Exit Calypsan (Only In My Dreams)

One thing that always impressed me about Falling Up, was their excellent vocabulary use when it came to song titles. In fact many times, they'll make up words completely, and this song is no different. Exit Calypsan's melody is a typical Falling Up one, slow at first, then moving to a rock sound during the chorus. The meaning behind the song is once again very complex, but from what I can understand it seems to be literally, about a dream the lead singer had, where he was being surrounded by darkness in this strange sort of nightmare. But then God came, and helped him "Exit the fall". However I could be completely wrong about the song's meaning, since it's to complex for even me to understand. The song doesn't really have much of a mood to it, but that may simply be because the lyrics are hard to understand. Rating-4/5

Contact

Now here is one of Falling Up's most dramatic songs. Contact is the perfect blend of mood and melody, even if the lyrics are a bit confusing. The melody of the song is very soft, something you would expect to find on an easy listening album. The piano and the song electric keyboard set a meaningful melody to the song that captures any listener right from the start. The meaning, like I said, is a bit confusing. Like many Falling Up songs, it is written from a first person point of view. And also, like many Falling Up songs, it almost instructs a person to do something. In Contact the song once more seems to be about the lead singer, instructing someone to erase their past life, and to embrace God, because everything in this person's life is causing pain and there seems to be no escape from it. The mood, once more feels like walking on a beach, or going to that place that your more comfortable in. For me, the mood feels like the singer wants you to feel safe in this song, to find comfort in what he's telling you and to forget all your pain because God is always there to help you. Rating-4/5


Moonlight

Now we've reached the single from the song, the one that any person that has ever listened to Falling Up has probably heard. Except with Moonlight, it has an interesting twist to it. The melody of the song is unlike any other on the album. Instead of having soft rock and pop sounds to it, it has very heavy rock and rap ties. This change in melody is a nice touch to the bands style of music, and provides the listener with something other than boring, melodramatic songs. The meaning behind the song is, you guessed it, God. This song also has very strong symbolism in it and many Biblical references to the death of Jesus Christ. From what I can understand, it is once more a song about being at your whits end, and realizing that you cannot go any further without God. This can be illustrated when he sings about how he has reached the shore, referencing that God is the ocean, and that he can't go any further without Him because everything fades away and life does not exist. The mood of the song is something I found very interesting. Instead of the usual sad, yet reflective mood that most Falling Up songs have, this one is almost a warning to people, a warning for everyone to wake up and see God. Rating-4.5/5

Cascades

In terms of the melody and mood, Cascades is probably my least favorite song on the album, but luckily for us, the meaning saved it all. The melody of the song is ever changing from fast, to loud, to just annoying. The mood of the song is non existent since the melody just kind of masks over it. But like I said, the meaning saved it all. The meaning behind the song is like all the others, yet this one somehow struck me as much more powerful. In this song he once more sings from God's point of view, telling a person that he is everywhere and that he is the only thing he needs to know in the world. Rating-3.5/5

Meridians

Sadly, this song is not much different than Cascades. Meridians, once again, lacks much substance when it comes to mood and melody and is exactly the same as the above song. The meaning is not much different either, so I will spare both of us the time of explaining it all over again. Rating-3.5/5

Lights of Reedsport

You might have noticed, that the town of Reedsport was mentioned in the song Exit Calypsan. After doing a little bit of research, I found that Reedsport is a small town in Oregon (the home state of Falling Up). Reedsport is famous for it's nearby sand dunes (this could explain why many Falling Up songs remind me of the ocean). Now as for the song, I find that it could be better, but finally broke the cycle of cliched, over used themes on this album. The song starts out with a nice electronic sound to it that sets the fast paced mood to the song. The meaning behind the song is much more specific in this song. It still is a song about a person turning to God, but the big difference is that here we get clues that this person is contemplating suicide, as is evident in lines like Blaze the night, lift the stake "Cause your world is broken Everything's on the floor Whenever the word is spoken Lonely bed you're awake Falling asleep you're hoping Faith will come through the door" or "When the knife is on the ground If you feel erased When He's in this place Then your life it will be found". The mood however, is still non existent in this song. Rating-4/5

Marathons

Now here is one of my favorite songs on the album. Marathons is a perfect combination of mood, melody, and meaning with lyrics rich in symbolism. It starts out with the fading in of an electronic beat, this beat changes very little throughout the song which I find to be a good quality in this specific case. The meaning of the song is very evident in the opening line, one of my favorite Falling Up lines ever, "Imagine the silence racing the timeless". In this line he talks about life after death, where you either believe nothing happens (the silence) or you believe that you go to heaven (the timeless), and it is stated as a rhetorical question, something that is so obvious you do not need to answer it. In the rest of the song he uses the analogy of sailing on a racing yacht (hence the name of the song), and that they are "sailing past your lies" since they "have the push that comes from the ocean". Or in other words, they are once more using the ocean to symbolize God, and that they are sailing past the lies that this world throws at them. The mood of the song is very uplifting, a song that can get your adrenaline going as if you truly are in a race. Rating-5/5

Fearless

Unfortunately, that was the last of the top quality songs, yet that does not mean all hope is lost. In this song, the melody is a typical slow rock song with very little substance, and rather annoying sounding vocals. The meaning is once more a song comparing God to the ocean. And the mood, is you guessed it, non existent. Rating-3.5/5

Into the Gravity

Most bands never know how to end an album, Falling Up is an exception to this though. This song's melody is something I found very unique. It mixes techno, with piano rock that sets up well for the mood of an album closing song. The meaning is fitting as well, what better way to end an album than one about finding God? As for the mood, I find it very important to close an album with an inspiring one. Very few bands can do this though, in fact Anberlin is probably the only band that truly knows how. But I congratulate Falling Up on their excellent attempt since their mood left me feeling comforted and content with myself, and with God. I do think that they cut the song off on a sudden note though. Rating-4/5

Overall, I feel that if you liked Falling Up's first album, this will be a pleasant surprise to you. And if you like Falling Up's newer stuff, you will like this even more. It is a very comforting album that I enjoy listening to when I am upset or am having a bad day. Overall rating-4/5

The Classic Crime: The Silver Cord

Recently I have taken up a liking to an alternative rock band called The Classic Crime. So when I saw that they released a new album, I jumped at the opportunity to check it out. Their first album Albatross, was a mediocre rock album with a few good songs. So I didn't get my hopes up to high when the new one was released. Fortunately though I was mistaken, since in their sophomore album Matt's vocals are much more matured, they focused their attention more on creating a rock album, and used much deeper lyrics than their first album was.

The End

So when I got the album, I saw that the first song was not only about a minute and a half long, but it also had the ironic title of being called "The End", so I figured it must be one of those introductions that many albums have where it's simply instruments playing, much like a band might practice before a show. I was surprised however to find that this one had lyrics, and a meaning to it. The melody is very dark and almost scary to listen to. I can't figure out an accurate meaning to it, but I can say that the lyrics are also very dark. Over all it's a very odd song, especially for one that opens an album, I didn't particularly care for it, but I'm not going to let an undeveloped intro ruin the rating of the rest of the album. Rating-4/5

Just a Man

And what a surprise it was to go from a depressing, slow, dark song, to an upbeat and fast song. This is by far my favorite Classic Crime song due to its message, vocals, and melody. The melody is very fast, with an interesting sounding introduction that sets up perfectly for the lyrics. The meaning is about how today's culture shoves beauty, money, and products down peoples throats, and if you're not a specific weight or own certain products, then you're nobody in this world. One thing I liked was the perspective that the song was written, which is that of a businessman or CEO apologizing to the people and saying "I once held the key but now I have nothing You are so naive, I'm sorry for leading you along I'm just a man" he then goes on to say that he is not the person you should turn to, that "I'm not your saint, I'm not your savior" and that the real savior here is God, and no earthly thing will satisfy you. The mood, ironically, is almost that of happiness, which leaves me with some questions about the true meaning behind the song. Rating-5/5

Grave Digging

Now how wouldn't like a song that involves digging a grave? Well unfortunately the grave he's talking about in this song is his own. The melody is very hard rock sounding. With rough choruses and some shouting it truly does set a perfect mood. The lyrics at first sound rather strange, but that may be because they have a lot of symbolism. But if you look closely it's clear the song is about a man contemplating suicide, this is evident in lines like "I've been sitting in the suicide lane on Highway 99 Looking for a sign in the headlights" and "I've been to war with my mind But things will be different this time I won't be putting up a fight". And in fact almost every line in the song has some reference to suicide. The thing I find most interesting though is that you never really find out what the person decided to do, and the song ends abruptly with strange cheering sounds. The mood is once again hard to figure out, so if anyone has any ideas about it, let me know. Rating-4/5

The Way That You Are

Here's one of those songs that has a good meaning and good lyrics, but lacks much else. The melody is good, rock sounding in most parts, but doesn't have much to it that would make you remember it. The meaning however is very inspiring. The first verse talks about a boy that doesn't talk much, and has "friends" that aren't very good influences. It's the second verse though that caught my attention, this one is about a girl that was abused but doesn't talk about it, and gives herself away to find the love she wants, even though God already loves her and she doesn't need a boy to fill that part in her heart. I'm not sure what it is about The Classic Crime, but it seems like that don't find mood to be an important part, because this is yet another song that I can't figure out the mood. Rating-4/5

5805

This is one of those songs that just disappoints everyone. It's not that it's a bad song, I just feel it could have been composed much better than it was. The melody was the thing that turned me off this time. It was very unorganized and confusing with different sounds playing out of sync and at different times. The lyrics are still very good though, expressing how Matt wishes to go back to his teenage and college years and live life like it was back then, and hoping that one day he will be able to have the same joyful feeling he had then. There is however evidence of a mood in this song luckily, but it's very simple, just a very content and happy mood. Rating-3/5

Salt In the Snow

The Classic Crime is sometimes regarded as being a Christian band, but I don't find this to be true since not even all of their members are Christians, however this song has very apparent themes about God in it. The melody starts out very slow and smooth and comforting, and in the end turns into more of a rock sound with some raised vocals at the end, it reminds me very much of a more rock version of a Chris Tomlin or David Crowder Band song. In the song he talks about how he wants "shelter from the storm" and is asking God "are you listening?", he then sings about how he tried to go through life without God and do everything by himself, but in the end realizes that he cannot do this alone. The mood of the song is very uplifting, and hopeful, which is a theme not very common in many of the songs so far on the album. Rating-4/5

Abracadavers

When I first heard this song, I did not like it at all, but after a couple times listening to it, it started to grow on me, and it might not be my favorite song, but still not bad. The song starts out with very eerie whispering noises, which then turns into Matt's very loud, distinct voice. The overall melody is that of hard rock, with a little bit of an electronic sound to it. The meaning is hard to depict since the message is hidden in symbolism. But if you're a person like me, lyrical content about muscles, tendons, and organs must have some sort of meaning behind it. So when I dug deeper I soon saw it was really a song about how even though some of us are smarter, or richer, or more athletic than others, we are all human in the end and we all die. But also that some of us go through life and ignore how we are a design of God. This is seen in the line: "It seems we're beautifully made and designed. But it's a shame we can be so blind." The song reminds me of being in some sort of autopsy room after a famous person has died and they want to find the cause of death (It's apparent that the band agrees with me on that since the music video is just that) and this sets a perfect mood for the song, which is that of a dark and almost depressing realization that everyone dies in the end. Rating-3.5/5

R&R

Well every band has one, and The Classic Crime is no exception to the rule, that every band has at least one poor quality song. R&R's melody is that of annoyance and repetitiveness. And most slow songs, even though they may not have a perfect melody or mood set, they typically speaking have good lyrics at least, but R&R's lyrics are confusing, and seem very jumbled with no apparent theme or symbolism present. The mood is also missing in this song, but that should be to no surprise for a song that lacks both a beat and words. This was by far the worst song on the album. Rating 2/5

God and Drugs

I was never a fan of songs comparing God to a drug, since well, drugs are typically viewed as bad things to be addicted, not God. The song itself has also failed to impress me, and doesn't sound that much different from R&R. The melody starts out slow, but slowly builds up, and at its peak you can clearly hear Matt's vocals shout the chorus of the song. The meaning behind the song is that no matter how much you may not want God to be in your life, he is always there, and that He will always act on you, whether you want to believe it or not. The mood is yet again, non-existent. Rating-3/5

Medisin

Medisin is still, another song that sounds just like R&R or God and Drugs. Except this song is, in my opinion, the worst of the three, and the worst song on the album. The melody is very boring, and slow and does not have much substance to it. The meaning is almost exactly that of God and Drugs. And as for the melody, it should be as to no surprise to you when I say there isn't one. Rating-2.5

The Ascent

Well, I do not know if the band had this in mind, but The Ascent sounds like the beginning of another album, since this is yet another instrumental song, only this time they did it perfectly. As strange as it might sound, this is actually one of my favorite songs on the album. This is because it has great composer to it, a melody that slowly, and gracefully climbs from a simple soft sounding guitar, to adding various instruments and beats, and in the end truly getting a powerful emotional build up by the end. I do not feel the has any meaning to it, since well, there is no lyrics. However, I do think the mood describes in its own way, what the meaning behind the song is, and this something that's open for interpretation, and that I cannot describe what the mood is, since it is something that you must figure out for yourself. Rating-5/5

*The reason for why I thought The Ascent sounds like the intro to a new album, is because it marks the beginning of four top grade songs, and after three songs like R&R, God and Drugs, and Medisin, I had very little hope for the rest of the album, but luckily I was surprised.*

Sing

Well like I have stated above, this marks the beginning of a four song dynasty of excellent songs that fill my requirements for all three "M's". Sing's melody starts out with heavy drum and guitar tones, and with echoing vocals that match the beat perfectly, there couldn't be much more I would ask out of the song. The meaning is another God related one, except this time he talks about "singing" to God, and how God will always hear him. This song also has one of my favorite verses, at least in terms of verses that talk about God, "My life's a painting I've done blind With each brushstroke you'll watch me blur every solid line Over this canvas I have stood with no one left beside me no one to decide if it's good". The mood of the song is that of hopefulness and fulfillment, knowing you found the thing that fills that empty part in your heart. Rating-5/5

Everything

If you recall, I mentioned before that I do not believe The Classic Crime is a Christian band, well this song is a perfect example of why. When I first heard this song I was very confused by it, but after a while I saw the meaning behind it, and even though I have nothing against songs dedicated to your wife or partner, I do not feel they belong on a "Christian" album, especially when they mention the physical aspects of that person. So I will not mark the band down for having a a very passionate song about the person that Matt loves the most in this world. The song itself is my favorite on the album, because melody has an excellent combination of guitar, drums, and vocals, and really sets up the perfect mood for it. The meaning is that of Matt missing his wife when he is on long trips with the band, and wanting to "Feel her soft skin" and that he can not wait till he sees her since he misses seeing her smile and feeling her kiss. The melody is very optimistic, and is one of those songs that's impossible to sing without having a smile on your face while doing it. So even though I'm not a big fan of soft and sweet love songs, this is definitely a classic. Rating-5/5

Closer Than We Think

The dynasty continues with Closer Than We Think, a soft toned, yet energetic song that speaks of being free from the world around you, and that you only need God in your life, and that "Your not alone", and that you can do anything you want when you put your heart into it. Rating-4.5/5

The Beginning (A Simple Seed)

Well, much like the opening song, the last song title has some irony too it, and this already gives me points in my book for creativeness. The melody of the song follows a common theme among last songs for albums, very slow at first, very loud and rock sounding in the end. The lyrics sound much like a continuation to Everything only I feel this song should have been first, because this song talks about the emotional and personal things he likes about his wife, not just the physical. The song doesn't have much of a mood too it, since I feel that the artist wants you to focus on the lyrics and think about the person you love most at the same time, and of course remember God in all of this, so I think in a way, this song wraps up everything that the album was about into one final farewell. Rating-5/5

Conclusion

Well I've managed to finish my second review, but the question still remains, should you buy The Silver Cord? Well it depends, if you enjoyed The Classic Crimes first album, you should love this one since it's simply a build up of more mature vocals, lyrics, and organization. If you've never heard of this band, than I feel you should at least check it out, but it is not an essential part of your CD collection. Overall Rating-4/5

Anberlin: New Surrender

Well I figured I would start out my reviews with my favorite band, Anberlin. This September Anberlin is planning on releasing a new album titled "New Surrender". However they have since posted all of their songs onto their Myspace for everyone to listen. Anberlin is one of those bands that many people call a "Christian band", so I suppose if you consider a band that has all Christian members, to be a "Christian band" then Anberlin would fit your category, but if your definition of a Christian band is a group that references God directly in most, if not all their songs, you would be mistaken to think Anberlin is one of them. Anberlin is a band that has all Christian members, and has many songs that have a Christian message, however most of their songs are up for interpretation and can be seen either as a relationship with a girl, a family member, or God. New Surrender is no exception to this, even though many songs have strong connections to Christianity and God, many still have connections to earthly relationships with people. Well now that I have finished giving you my little Anberlin review lesson, lets move on to the music.

The Resistance

In true Anberlin fashion, the first song on New Surrender is a very upbeat and fast song that's very similar to their music from Blueprints for the Black Market. As for the meaning, it's very clear that it's about a group of people that lack respect for their government and are only steps from a revolt. The line "You paper tigers" makes a reference to political leaders that appear on the outside as powerful people that want justice for everyone, but fall under pressure when the true time to stand up comes. The chorus is full of lines saying how they plan on overthrowing the disorganized government, and establishing an anarchy until a true, fair government is put into place. In the last section of the song, Stephen Christian sings "Ignite and watch us burn Til every embers turn, My God we'll feel inspired, When we set your walls to fire". What a better way to end an Anberlin song than by burning things and leading the way for the next generation? As for the mood of the song, I would have to say it has a serious tone, yet still is meant more for as a fun song when you need to get pumped up before a track meet or a football game. Now as for rating the song, I feel it has a good message, good mood, but the melody and vocals could be a bit better. Rating-4/5

Breaking

One thing I truly appreciate in a song is when a chorus is faster, and louder than the rest of the song, and Breaking is a perfect example of this. In my opinion this is a very well crafted song, with its changing melody throughout the song that changes from fast to slow to fit the lyrical content. The meaning of the song is another classic Anberlin theme, girls and breakups. It's apparent that the song is about a girl he had a prior relationship with, or wish he did, but in the end, hurt him and treated him with little respect like she did with all the guys before he came along. This can be evident in lines like "You've got breaking hearts all but down and you've done this, you've done this before", and "Do you collect the souls you've lost in the top of your dresser drawer". The mood of the song also fits perfectly with the lyrics, going from an almost disappointed feeling at the beginning, to a feeling of realization that life still goes on in the end. I feel this is probably one of, if not the best song off their new album. Rating- 5/5

Blame Me! Blame Me!

Much like how the worst part of a storm proceeds the eye, the worst song on this album proceeds the best. In my opinion this song is disoriented on all levels, the melody is random and rough compared to their other songs, the lyrics are a cliched love song, and the evidence of any mood is non-existent. The meaning of the song itself is, like I said, a love song. Possibly about a girl he's in a relationship with that only finds faults in him? I will have to skip the mood since it's so vague that I can not find one. Definitely not one of their best songs, but then again it does have a lot of competition. Rating-2.5/5

Retrace

In Retrace, Anberlin has managed to retrace their steps back onto the right path. This is an excellent example of a classic reminiscent themed song. The introduction has a very mellow, almost thought provoking melody to it that reminds me of walking on a deserted street at dusk thinking about my youth. The meaning of the song, from what I can gather, is about a guy that goes back to the town he grew up in, and everywhere he goes he remembers a girl he had a relationship with. He then goes on to say that he can not get her out of his mind. Things like photos, places, and even the time of year bring him back to the time when they were together. It's hard to tell if whether the girl he is talking about simply left him heartbroken, or also the possibility that she may have died when they were together, and he is finally facing his fear of remembering her. Rating-5/5

The Feel Good Drag

Now here comes the song that just clinches the whole album. This is the type of song that makes any rock band complete, the one everyone remembers from the album. Even though I prefer the original version of the song, (I felt the melody matched the lyrics much better) this version is still is a great song that I recommend any Anberlin fan listen to. The songs meaning is something Anberlin likes to use a lot, girls. Except this time he sings about how he gave into having a relationship with a girl, who was in a relationship with other guy. He then expresses how he regrets doing this, that she was his "Greatest failure" and that he wishes he never gave into her sin that she presented to him when her boyfriend was out of town. As for the mood, it's very clearly anger. I would even go as far to say that this is possibly Anberlin's most energetic and angry song, that has an almost violent theme to it. I don't have many negative things to say about this song, except that I wish they made the song a bit harder rock sounding, and I also wish they didn't take out Stephen's short scream during the bridge. I felt that scream really summarized how he felt during the whole song, and was finally able to express it, so for that I will rank it a bit lower than the other songs. Rating-4.5/5

Disappear

I have very little insight on this song, simply because it's an OK, nothing special song. In my opinion it is neither great, nor bad, it's in between. I felt the melody was typical for one of their songs, mixing a rock sound with a little bit of an electronic sound. However it was the vocals that made the difference between good and great, I felt Stephen Christian shouted at the worst possible times during the song and made it sound like an amateur Underoath song. The meaning is a bit confusing, but is also open for interpretation. When I first heard it, I thought of a teenage or college couple that are spending time with each other, after all their other friends deserted them. Later though, I read a post from an Anberlin fan saying they think it's about how homeless people are treated unfairly and often looked down upon, and after reading the lyrics over, this idea makes much more sense than mine did. Rating-3/5

Breathe

It's that time now for Anberlin to have their first real slow song on the album. When it comes to slow songs, it's hard to impress me, since slow songs rely heavily on lyrical content, and being able to form the perfect mood with them. As far as Breathe goes, I once again find it to be a moderate song, not excellent, but not poor either. The melody of the song is well, slow as you would have probably guessed. The meaning of the song is also rather vague, but if you look closer you'll see he is talking about an internal battle with himself, and having his own "Civil War". My guess is that this change was brought upon him because of God, since one line is "I can finally breathe. Suddenly alive. I can finally move. 'Cause I realize.", however, I suppose the song could be about that of a girl, since many Anberlin songs are. The mood is also very vague, and simple, like most slow songs it has an almost sad mood too it. Overall I feel Anberlin could have done better, since they've had meaningful songs like The Unwinding Cable Car and Inevitable. Rating-3/5

Burn Out Brighter (Northern Lights)

This song is a perfect example of judging a song too early. After hearing the odd sounding introduction, I did not expect much better out of the rest of the song. However, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I had been wrong, and the song was in fact of very good quality and substance. The melody is probably the only thing that could have been better in this song, like I said previously, it was a bit odd, and kept changing throughout the song. The thing I liked most about Burn Our Brighter is both the lyrics, and the vocals of the song. I felt Christian did an excellent job of overlapping his voice during the chorus to really express the lyrics in an accurate way. I also give praise to the song for its meaning, which is about a man asking for redemption for his past mistakes, and saying how he wants to "Live, I wanna live inspired Die, I wanna die for something higher than myself Live and die for anyone else The more I live I see this life's not about me". So in other words, he wants to try and live a selfless life, and leave some kind of legacy that people will remember him by. The mood of the song is that of happiness, and a feeling of relief. This can be seen by the quick, smooth vocals throughout the song that give it an almost soft quality to it. Rating-4.5/5

Younglife

Younglife is one of those catchy, get up and go songs that's just overall fun. Not that there is anything wrong with happy songs, but they tend to lack much meaning to them and have very repetitive melodies, and this song isn't much of an exception. The melody is fast, quick, and catchy with the very apparent sound of an acoustic guitar in the background. The meaning is remembering the good times of your childhood or teenage years, yet the lyrics are repeated at least four times throughout the song. The mood is once more that of happy, and uplifting, it's intended to remember the good things about the past, not the bad. Rating-3/5

Haight St.

What's this? Another feel good song by Anberlin? Must be a record. Thankfully though, they managed to get this one right and fix all the mistakes they made in Younglife. The melody in Haight St. is, once again, fast and catchy, like most feel good songs are. The thing that sets this apart from Younglife though is the use of a more electric guitar, giving it more of a rock sound, which Anberlin is very skilled at pulling off. The meaning is another Anberlin classic, girls, and escaping from the world. He sings about taking a drive with his girl, and having a night to themselves, away from the world and everyone in it. I don't think I need to explain the mood again, since it's exactly the same as the two songs above. The one thing I do not like about this song though is that they still left the repetitive lyrics that they had in Younglife. Rating-4/5

Soft Skeletons

When I first heard this song, I thought it was the saddest, most depressing Anberlin song they have written. The melody is that of a slower rock on, the guitar is very evident and I think is a good way to set the mood, the vocals are however not as great I as would like, but still a another quality song. The meaning was the thing that really caught my attention. It's about Stephen Christian talking to a girl that was abused, either sexually or physically, and has since turned to drugs to decrease the pain, and he tells her to "When the light starts to burn And the pain returns I just wish that I could heal the hurt you feel tonight There's life in your veins These needles are chains Don’t you doubt". This is a perfect example of an Anberlin song that has very deep, meaningful lyrics to them. And as for the mood, well, that should be obvious, depressing and sad. Rating-4/5

Miserable Visu (Ex Malo Bonum)

So we've reached the last song, the song that is usually just thrown on the album without much prior thought, the song that's rejected and no one remembers. But this is far from the truth when it comes to Anberlin, and they sure do know how to go out with a bang on all of their albums. Besides, who couldn't love a song with a Latin title and have absolutely no idea what the song is about? Well as for the melody, it changes from being slow, and rather droning, to having a rock sound with overlapping vocals in the end. As for the meaning, it's full of symbolism and confusion that if you want to truly understand it, you will have to dig deep for it. From what I've uncovered it's an apocalyptic song about the end of time on Earth, when Jesus comes back down, when they talk about the man from the see, they refer to the false prophet that will preform many miracles. The line "A man is coming in thirteen one" refers to Revelations 13:1, most of the song is based around this verse. Surprisingly, I can not pick out any specific mood to this song, possibly because there is no need for one? I think that the lyrics explain all that needs to be said, there is no mood required here since you should be focused more on the lyrics than anything else. Rating-5/5

Well we've come to the end of the album, which logically would be the end of the review also, but before I let you decide if you want to waste your gas money to go to FYE and pick up this album, let me leave you with one final note. Even though I feel Cities was a better, if you're a big Anberlin fan, this album will by no means disappoint. So I hope I was able to provide some words of wisdom to you and help swing you're decision about whether or not to purchase New Surrender.

The Three M's

Before I begin my reviews on artists and albums, I would briefly like to explain the basis that I form my opinions on for music, something I like to call "the three M's". The first "M" is for Melody. This means that the beat of the song is smooth and flows in correspondence with everything else, in my opinion this is the most important element in a song, since the sound of the song itself is nearly always the thing that captures a listener. The next "M" is for Meaning. I also find the meaning of a song to be very important as well, because a song without a meaning is like a book without a plot. You will probably notice that I spend much time explaining the meaning behind a song, or at least what I think it means. This is simply because when I listen to a song, I want to be able to experience it in full, the way the artist intended, not just as white noise in the background to block out your parents telling you to finish your chores. The final "M" stands for Mood. I feel that mood is a combination of both the meaning, and melody of the song, the final kick that sends a song over the edge to really give the listener the full experience of the song. One thing I do not like is when artists can not match a correct melody to the lyrics, which in turn throws off the mood, leaving the listener confused about the song. In other words, all three of these elements are needed, in my opinion to make a good song, take out any one of them, and the other two do not function properly, and in the end you have just another sappy love song, or a cliched breakup song in a world already full of too many bands.

Début

A little while ago I saw a bumper sticker that said "Music=Life". I could not agree more with that statement, at least until I saw another, similar sticker a couple days later. This time however the sticker said "God=Life". I began wondering about the two most important things in my life, God, and music. At the same time I wanted to express my newly found hobby in some way. Be able to share my insight on God and music with others. I contemplated about getting a blog, but frankly, I always thought "bloggers" were people that sat in Starbucks with their laptops, sipping a French vanilla espresso, while commenting about animal cruelty in the South Africa. In the end though it was my brother, who also posts blogs on this site, that ultimately convinced me to start my own posts. I do not profess to be great at English, and for many, my posts may be boring and lifeless. But if you're like me and enjoy listening to music, or learning about God, I will try my best to write reviews on albums, artists, maybe even a book or a movie from time to time. And of course every once in a while I will attempt to take a crack at theology. So who knows, maybe one day I'll make a bumper sticker that says "God+Music=Life".