New Surrender - Dark Publications

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Similar Items:

•	The Glass Passenger
•	Cities
•	Lost in the Sound of Separation
•	Lost Songs
•	Never Take Friendship Personal

Editorial Reviews:

Album Description
This is the major label debut for the Central Florida pop-rock stalwarts, Anberlin. The new album features 13 tracks that further expand on Anberlin's signature sound. Stephen Christian's distinct vocals backed by Joseph Milligan and Christian McAlhaney's driving guitars and the rhythm section comprised of Deon Rexroat and Nathan Young on bass and drums respectively is the foundation for the band's success.

New Surrender, produced by Neal Avron (Fall Out Boy, Yellowcard, New Found Glory), demonstrates the band's natural progression as musicians as well as solidifying their place as some of music's most creative songwriters. With all out rockers like "Feel Good Drag" and "Blame Me! Blame Me!" to the introspective "Still Counting Backwards," Anberlin have created a record that is sure to propel the band to the next level. Universal Republic signed the band off of the success of their highly lauded breakthrough indie pop scorcher, Cities. The record debuted on Billboard's Top Albums chart in February 2007 at #19, and passed the coveted 100,000 indie-sales milestone fueled by their riveting hit single "Godspeed."

It has been Anberlin's emotive pop/rock chemistry that has excited fans and critics ever since their Polk County, FLA launch six years ago, rising through the indie ranks with a magnetic collection of releases on Tooth & Nail Records, including their memorable 2003 debut Blueprints For The Blackmarket. Their 2005 release, Never Take Friendship Personal, saw them gain even more indie traction, (the band has logged combined album sales of more than 400,000 albums) with the single "Paperthin Hymn" peaking in the Top 40 of the Modern Rock Radio chart. Their touring, coupled with a loyal myspace following, cemented their reputation as one of the bands to watch in 2007. Anberlin delivered on that with the celebrated Cities. Cited by many critics as indispensable to the modern rock scene, rock forecasters have bookmarked their upcoming album New Surrender as one of the truly viable indie-to-major success stories ready to blow in 2008.

Album Description
New Surrender, produced by Neal Avron (Fall Out Boy, Yellowcard, New Found Glory), demonstrates the band's natural progression as musicians as well as solidifying their place as some of music's most creative songwriters. Universal Republic signed the band off of the success of their highly lauded breakthrough indie pop scorcher, Cities. The record debuted on Billboard's Top Albums chart in February 2007 at #19, and passed the coveted 100,000 indie-sales milestone fueled by their riveting hit single 'Godspeed.' Cited by many critics as indispensable to the modern rock scene, rock forecasters have bookmarked their upcoming album New Surrender as one of the truly viable indie-to-major success stories ready to blow in 2008.

Customer Reviews: Read 26 more reviews...

3 out of 5 stars

New Surrender October 2, 2008
7 out of 10 found this review helpful

Anberlin's last record, "Cities" was one of the best records of last year. Not a flawless record by any means, but a strong collection of songs that showed that Anberlin was one of the few groups that were not willing to sit in and stay with a chosen formula, but were willing to build on it and make it stronger.
"New Surrender", the eagerly awaited followup to that record, is, oddly enough, the opposite. Though not a terrible record by any means, "New Surrender" may very easily be the weakest overall Anberlin record so far in their still young career.
What's funny about "New Surrender" is that, with the exception of a not so much bad as worthless re-recording of "Feel Good Drag", there is really nothing bad here. All the songs are fine enough, performed with vigor and talent, and nothing here feels false or boring.
But on the flipside of that, there is also nothing here that I could remember after hearing the record through a few times. There are no really clear, strong melodies here, and the lyrics, though themselves never bad, aren't interesting enough or clever enough to really, truly grab your attention.
"New Surrender" is not a waste of money, nor is it a sound investment. The record is perfectly good background noise, well produced and played, but it is never more than that.
And knowing that these guys can do so much better than that, it's hard to see "New Surrender" as anything but a disapointment.

5 out of 5 stars

An Unrelenting Infusion of Melody and Rock September 30, 2008
6 out of 8 found this review helpful

Anberlin had already established themselves quite nicely PRIOR to the release of their previous album, "Cities." But it was on that release when they broke the mold, as they upped the ante on both melody and scorching alternative-rock riffs. They are far too accomplished (and sophisticated) to be lumped with emo bands, as they run endless circles around bands like Motion City Soundtrack and Dashboard Confessional. They are too passionate and immediate to be compared to bands such as REM and Travis (besides, Anberlin can actually rock out). They have established a nice little niche for themselves, and although a follow-up to "Cities" would be difficult to improve upon its predecessor, this year's "New Surrender" comes very, very close. With acoustic ballads like "Younglife" and gutsy, hard-hitting rockers such as "Disappear" and "Breaking" they pick up right where they left off. Also noteworthy is the track "Haight Street," which might just be the huge hit this band needs to reach platinum status. All in all, in a world full of carbon copies and cookie-cutter bands, Anberlin pushes the bar further, creating an album that is as good or even better than "Cities." When taken on it's own terms, this is impressive enough - but when you compare the quality of the music this band makes to other bands in the genre, it is clear Anberlin is now the best band of it's kind. Another reviewer of this album mentioned the word catharsis when describing the immediate tone of the songs....well, I listened to this album immediately after listening to the new Plain White T's album. Talk about a catharsis! There was no comparison. None. This band's got the goods, and are on the rise big-time.

5 out of 5 stars

Review from Jesusfreakhideout.com September 30, 2008
4 out of 5 found this review helpful

A year and a half after the release of the monumental Cities, Anberlin is back, backed by a new record label, and are eager to introduce you to New Surrender. The release of their compilation project, Lost Songs, in November 2007 marked the end of their contract with Tooth and Nail Records- the band's label home since the early days of Blueprints For The Black Market. Now, they are partnered with Universal Republic, and their evolution is evident.

New Surrender initially doesn't seem to reflect the "Anberlin" sound fans have come to know throughout their past three albums. However, that doesn't mean the quality of this music is anything less than what they would consider their best. Every song on this album has a beautiful story to tell. The opener, "The Resistance," is one of the more solid rock songs found on the album and serves as a really great introduction to the album. "Breaking," formally known as "Bittersweet Memory," follows. Our first glance of this song was through the acoustic videos and the digital download package that was available at Warped Tour. It was promising as an acoustic alone, and in this electric format, it doesn't fail to deliver. "Blame Me Blame Me" is a very up-beat tune reminiscent of "A Day Late." The chorus sings, "Blame me, blame me, blame me for mistakes you make but you can't own. Hate me, hate me, hate me for every honest word that you postpone. Leave me out of this; lights on sinking ships are gleaming, gleaming, gleaming for mistakes you've made but you can't own." This is definitely a highlight of the album and is sure to stand out among fans. After "Blame Me Blame Me," the album takes a more mellow turn for "Retrace" - a sweet love song which displays Stephen's clearly matured vocals and, lyrically, his ability to create amazing imagery. Next up is the new, yet not completely improved, "Feel Good Drag." This song first made its debut on their sophomore album, Never Take Friendship Personal. At first listen, the song sounded drastically different. However, with each listen, the differences between the two seem to disappear. It still has its edge, even though they have discarded the screaming vocals. Lyrically, this song is all about angst and is really emotional. New Surrender's version doesn't seem to capture that intense emotion like you were able to hear and feel in NTFP's.

At the half-way mark is "Disappear"- the first song we were officially introduced to by the band in mid-July. It speaks of the homeless and the neglected, and out of the whole record, it sounds the most like the Anberlin we know. It is one of the most memorable tracks, by far, especially with its unique subject matter. "Breathe" is a light, romantic song. It is simplistic in structure, but completely fits the tone and direction of the song. "Burn Out Brighter," "Younglife," and "Haight Street" are all less memorable than those previously mentioned. However, they are pleasant and tend to reminisce on care-free days and one's youth. "Soft Skeletons" is a beautiful song about a girl who doesn't seem to have the strength to carry on a fight against pain and addiction. Stephen's vocals are spot-on, sounding almost like melodic whines and cries, as he sings, "I just wish that I could heal all the hurt you feel tonight. There's life in your veins. These needles are chains to hold you down. How can you expect to win this war when you're too afraid to fight?" It's become a tradition for Anberlin to close their albums with an epic, exceptionally prolonged, finale. New Surrender's "Miserabile Visu" is no different. Though it lacks the intensity of "*Fin," its beauty seems to test the boundaries of eternity with intimate vocals and electric guitars.

The overall quality of the songs is very strong and demanding. This is a new chapter for the band, and while there are obviously still elements of the old Anberlin, the new ones will undoubtedly have a powerful reign. Some might notice vast differences; some might think they are pretty subtle. These changes could be their evolution or, simply, Universal Republic's generic influence on them, unlike Tooth And Nail's indie fashion.

Musically, it seems they were more conservative with this debut on Universal. It is evident the immense talent they've portrayed in the past isn't completely made known. A lot more keys are involved, hence the addition of a new keyboard player from the late band Acceptance. Stephen Christian's voice improves more and more with each album. This was most evident with the release of the acoustic videos of "Breaking." Yes, this album might be more produced than the past ones, but when you hear him all stripped down, he still has a very powerful, smooth voice that demonstrates his remarkable abilities.

The lyrical quality has also seemed to have improved tremendously. As a whole, it definitely deals with similar themes found throughout their previous albums, just in new approaches. "Miserabile Visu" is a lyrical highlight, and the growth in Stephen's writing is very noticeable. The amount of spirituality seems to decrease with each album, however, two songs highlight this theme to a very respectful level. "Burn Out Brighter" deals with wanting to live your life not for yourself, but for "something higher than myself." Also, the closer, "Miserabile Visu," is filled with spiritual references from Revelation - from mentioning the antichrist, to the mark of the beast, and even the second coming of Jesus through beautiful symbolism and an intense amount of detail.

Much respect is deserved and given to Anberlin for making the always-risky move to a major record company to further their music career and, ultimately, reach and move larger audiences with their music. This was the tell tale sign if they could stand up with major record labels and still maintain their integrity. Through the differences you will find, you will see these changes are not necessarily negative. At the heart of this album, you know it's still Anberlin. And I think that says a lot about their dedication to their fans and the integrity of their music.

- Review date: 9/28/08, written by Lindsay Wiseman

4 out of 5 stars

Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want September 30, 2008
4 out of 5 found this review helpful

And what is I want? To be excited about this album as I was about Blue Prints for The Black Market, Never Take Friendship Personal, or Cities. Sadly, I can't seem to do that. Granted, the worst anberlin song is still pretty damn good, but in comparison to their other works, this falls short.
(As a side note, I picked that title for this review because one can easily notice the influence of The Smiths on this album more than on their previous ones.)
I can tell I will like this album eventually because the first song I heard off of it ("Disappear") was not exactly a favorite when I first heard it, but now I really enjoy it; but that's not how anberlin has been with me. From the first time I heard "Readyfuels" I was hooked instantly. So imagine my surprise when "The Resistance" starts up and I find myself saying in the back of my mind "This isn't so bad."
This album is like anberlin with the edge off. It's like Diet Dr. Pepper: they tell you it tastes the same, but then you try it and it doesn't taste the same, and even if it does taste good, you're still frustrated because you don't want Diet Dr. Pepper, you want Dr. Pepper. (I really hope that made sense.)
The perfect example of this is the remake of "the Feel Good Drag" (originally on NTFP). It is essentially the same, aside from some minor details (the screaming for one, which kind of makes the song for me), but once you get to the bridge anyone who's heard the original realizes that this song just lacks something. After trying to figure it out for a while I came to a revelation: it lacks passion. Sure, it sounds almost the same, but the original was so full of angst and anger and lust and confusion and just ineffible emotion; and this version is just. . .Well, it's just another song, really.
It's not all bad though. In fact, it's not bad at all. Not really. Songs like "Breaking," "Haight Street," "The Resistance," "Breathe," and "Blame Me! Blame Me!" are really quite good. "Miserablile Visu" is fantastic. The rest of the songs are decent. The only ones I don't like are "Burn Out Brighter" and "Younglife." As for "Retrace" and "Soft Skeletons" (the only two songs I haven't mentioned): they aren't bad. The first time I heard "Retrace" I was impressed, but the second time I was annoyed. By the third listen I was enjoying it again, so I don't know how I feel about it, but I do know that comparisons to "(a symphony of) blase)" are inacurate and unfounded.
I think a twelve track album with only two or three bad songs is pretty good. If this were a follow up to Blueprints I'd be more impressed--"Blame Me! Blame Me!" would've fit perfectly between "We Dreamt In Heist" and "Cadance," but I wouldn't trade their cover of "Love Song" for anything. Sadly, this is three albums away from their first.
I hate to sound like those annoying persons who complain when a band doesn't recreate their last album, but in the end, I'm finding myself wanting so much to fawn over this album as the next brush stroke in a masterful picture that is their musical career, but instead, I just find myself wanting to put in Cities.

5 out of 5 stars

Hear that? Thats the sound of your speakers exploding October 1, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful

Well it took a few listens to really get in the right state of mind after having lived and breathed Cities for so long, but this CD DOES NOT DISAPPOINT!

New Surrender showcases a band still brimming with ideas and emotion, a band primed to finally see the audience it has so long deserved. Don't take my word for it though.

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