Cities

A best victim of third album syndrome 2007

Everybody knows about a so-called second album syndrome, which is usually mentioned when a certain band is facing a risk to loose all their points if they make a bad album after a loud success of a debut one. But there is also a third album syndrome, which unlike the first variant concerns those who gain height gradually. Little by little, a band acquires experience, popularity and professional qualities and then finally shoots an album, which is capable to open the doors of a big scene for them. This scheme sounds much more true to life: usually such an album goes as a third, may be a fourth one in the bands’ discographies. This phenomenon has a great number of examples, almost every more or less known band has gone through such a story, and the difference between these stories is in the extent of that shoot. If we’ll try to prognosticate the results of 2007 than American punk act Anberlin must become a winner in the best break through nomination. Those things they did on their new album Cities are not just a rapid professional growth but aimed catapult launching in the direction of stadiums and worldwide tours. Taking into consideration everything mentioned above, one could say that Anberlin is a best victim of third album syndrome 2007.

Cities exceed the limits of pop punk

So, lets get down to the details of Cities. Anberiln are mostly of a pop punk family origin. Their album of 2005 has burst in the ranks of punk clones, left many rivals behind and seized a fair amount of potential Fall Out Boy’s fans. And though Cities may be still treated as a pop punk album it can hardly squeeze itself into the boarders of this term. It is something much more bigger, diverse and thought out, you will never tell that Anberlin is a punk band when you listen to the album’s introduction part. The band sounds as a purely metal act until the vocal part of the first single Godspeed begins, the first chords of this song simply blow everything that stands on its way. Its amazing, but smooth, high vocals of Stephen Christian combine with the arrangement greatly and give us a hint about Anberlin musical roots. The following couple of songs Adelaide and A Whisper & A Clamour are more candid punk units but they are filled with different additional instruments and sounds again and it is pretty hard to tell what kind of instruments exactly been used at that. There are few excellent ballads on the album, listen to the The Unwinding Cable Car or Inevitable – it is beautiful, sad and really sensitive. But Cities wouldn’t be so good if there were no track called *Fin. This is a long and even epic song with lots of vocals and acoustic guitars, it sounds different from any other track on Cities, it just needs listening.

Anberlin move in the alternative rock direction

As an album Cities possesses all the basic features necessary for a breakthrough on the world arena. First of all the album has a great sound. Heavy or loud are not the words suitable for a thorough characteristic, it would be more correct to say trademark, core, saturated with interesting effects and moods and only after that it is dense, loud and catchy. Secondly, the album has a diverse and interesting material indeed. One could say that the band has found the keys for a new unique sounding, which will serve as a guideline for tens of young bands. And if such a stylistic development of pop punk in the case of Fall Out Boy has switched to a straightforward pop than Anberlin move to alternative rock and this sounds more honest and upright. It is also absolutely necessary to mention a craftsmanship of musicians, excellent vocals and smart lyrics. As a result we have something really special, interesting and thrilling. Anberlin has done a great job. They managed to make their music not just recognizable against the overall punk background but they offered a new way of development of this genre.