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
