Anberlin achieves mainstream success

Alternative rock artist Anberlin had already achieved mainstream success on indie Christian label Tooth and Nail with such albums as "Never Take Friendship Personal" and "Cities." The band signed with Universal Republic Records last year and were asked to release an album in 2008 despite the fact that they released "Cities" last year.

News of the album, "New Surrender", was met with mixed anticipation and dread by fans. Many felt that releasing albums in such quick succession would lessen the musical quality of "New Surrender", and some feared that Anberlin's new label would force them to change their sound into something more mainstream.

I can say that while both situations mentioned above had a measurable impact on Anberlin's sound, neither fear was justified. "New Surrender" is definitely not an album that will define Anberlin's career, but it is a successful foray into the mainstream world that leaves the band at a crossroads in their maturation.

First of all, Anberlin's sound has been getting progressively less rock and more alternative, even demonstrating pop/emo influences at some points. Gone is the raw guitar of earlier records. Instead, Anberlin relies heavily on the soaring melodies, catchy choruses, and light guitar picking that has proven successful for other mainstream bands.

The album begins with "The Resistance," a solid song that would fit comfortably on "Never Take Friendship Personal." "Breaking" follows, perhaps my favorite song on the album. It is also classic Anberlin. The third track, "Blame Me! Blame!," has subtle electronic elements to it. "Feel Good Drag" follows a rather forgettable fourth track, "Retrace," with it's second appearance on an Anberlin disc.

It was first featured on "Never Take..." and has been slightly re-worked. The next three songs aren't very noticeable or unique, which would probably not be the case if Anberlin had more time in between records. "Haight Street" is light-hearted and catchy, and "Soft Skeltons" sounds similar to something Anberlin's former bandmates, the underrated Classic Crime, might put out, which is a good thing. The last song "Miserabile Visu", is the album's most unique and wandering song and ends the album on a good note.

I can't say that this is my favorite Anberlin record. In fact, two of the best songs on the album have been released by them before. But what's nice about this record is that Anberlin has proven that they aren't satisfied with simply reproducing the same album over and over, and instead are looking for new ways to please fans. I would rather have seen them put a few more albums out on Tooth and Nail, a label where they wouldn't have had to worry about meeting the demands of a mainstream label, but I'm looking forward to their next release.