New Surrender

Anberlin

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 30, 2008)
• Original Release Date: September 30, 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Universal Republic
• ASIN: B001BYZX1K
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,249 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

About the Artist

In today's instantly downloadable and quickly consumed culture, bands like Anberlin are a dying breed. Over the course of six years and four full-lengths (including last year's B-side compilation Lost Songs), the band have established themselves as one of alternative rock's most exciting acts and as a band who refuse to limit themselves to one specific scene or sound... and it's paid off. If the band reinvented themselves with last year's sprawling album Cities--which debuted in the Billboard Top 20 and sold 34,000 copies its first week of release--they've transcended that sound with New Surrender. In fact, their latest album that shows the band reconciling all of their seemingly disparate moods into a cohesive blend of music that will lull you to sleep with gentle harmonies one minute and shake you to the core via raw, distortion-drenched rock riffage the next.

This control of dynamics has embodied Anberlin's music since their 2003 debut Blueprints For The Black Market which instantly caught on with fans of emotional music who didn't want to be fed the same musical clichés--oh, and touring alongside acts like Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance to support that album didn't hurt either. After playing literally hundreds of shows and growing as both musicians and people the band released their sophomore album Never Take Friendship Personal in 2005. Markedly more mature both musically and lyrically, that album established Anberlin as more than another underground sensation and showed that there was no limit to what the band could achieve. This same trend was evident with last year's mainstream breakthrough Cities, which showed the band progressing even more and expanding their musical vision exponentially.

All this brings us to New Surrender. Although the album retains the Anberlin sound that fans have grown to love, in many ways it's also an album of firsts that marks the next chapter in the band's illustrious history. For example, after working for years exclusively with longtime producer/friend Aaron Sprinkle this time around the band decided to enlist legendary producer Neal Avron (Fall Out Boy, Yellowcard, New Found Glory) to capture their sound. Additionally, after selling 435,000 albums on the well-respected indie label Tooth And Nail, with New Surrender the band decided it was finally time for them to step up to a major label--and although they had been courted by various majors for years, the band decided to go with Universal Republic. "At Tooth And Nail there was a glass ceiling and there was no way to get our music out to all the people we wanted to reach," Christian explains when asked about the band's decision to change labels. "To us, Universal Republic represents a sense of stability in this turbulent

era for music: The staff is going nowhere, the label is here to stay and they have proven time and time again that they can take bands to the people--and that is where we belong... among the people."

"The whole album is conceptualized around the theme of a new surrender in the sense that everyone in their lives has something they know they have to give up," responds Christian when asked about the title of the band's latest opus. "There's something that's holding each of us back from who we could become, so I think each song kind of tackles that theme of surrendering parts of life whether it's a person or a vice." In order to capture this idea, the band--which also features guitarist Joseph Milligan, bassist Deon Rexroat, drummer Nathan Young and new addition and former Acceptance guitarist Christian McAlhaney--spent three months in the studio with Avron carefully crafting their most fully realized effort to date.

In fact, from the equally cathartic and melodic track "Breaking" to the soon-to-be summertime anthem "Haight Street" and acoustic ballad "Younglife," New Surrender is the most varied album of the band's career--something they credit largely to the new addition of McAlhaney, who has solidified the band's lineup and become an integral part of the songwriting process. "I think it just felt right," McAlhaney responds when asked when it was like to be thrown into a songwriting team of Christian and Milligan, who have been writing together for nearly thirteen years. "There was no trial period, we just went for it," he continues. "It definitely helped having someone else to bounce ideas off of," Milligan concurs, adding that he's confident that New Surrender is undoubtedly the band's strongest album to date.

Although both of the band's guitarists have completely different styles, they perfectly complement each both rhythmically and melodically on New Surrender--and this sonic interaction has added a new level of depth to Anberlin's already powerful sound. Additionally, this renewed sense of enthusiasm doesn't just apply to the guitars but also carries over to Stephen's vocals, which manage to achieve almost religious levels of grandeur on the falsetto-fueled "Retrace" or soaring, operatic ballad "Breathe." "Neal [Avron] did not let me get away with anything," Christian explains, noting that every vocal part on the album is sung individually without relying on studio trickery such as auto-tuning. While this unorthodox approach required additional work on the band's part, the result is a vocal performance that shows Christian extending his already impressive range and solidifying him as one of the strongest frontman in the genre.

New Surrender is also the first Anberlin album to work the band's well-documented humanitarian efforts into the lyrics, which have included going to Kenya to teach about AIDS prevention or traveling to Calcutta, India, to educate the masses about the danger of human trafficking. "I live in Los Angeles now, so

I wrote a song [Disappear] about homelessness because that's something that's so prevalent in my life," Christian elaborates. "There's also about another song [Burn Out Brighter (Northern Lights)] about living unselfishly and the lyrics say, "'I want to live and die for someone else / the more I live, I see this life's not about me,'" he adds. "I'm really excited that we've got to the level lyrically where our fans don't listen to Anberlin for just the basic, `Oh girl, I want to hold your hand," he says, noting that the supportive nature of Anberlin's fans gave him artistic license to challenge himself and take his own writing to the next level this time around.

However, the band are quick to stress the fact that New Surrender is ultimately an album that's made to be listened to instead of analyzed--and songs like "Feel Good Drag" are so infectious that it's likely that listeners will be too wrapped up in the majesty of the music to waste their time worrying about how to pigeonhole Anberlin's sound. "In some ways I don't think we have that much emotional attachment to music nowadays," Christian says, noting that music seems to be such a ubiquitous part of our daily lives that it's easy to forget the passion that initially drew most of us to it the first place. "I want people to feel like they belong to this record; it's their record and I want them to treat it like that," he explains. "Hopefully New Surrender doesn't just have one single that everyone attaches himself or herself to," he summarizes, "I really want all twelve songs to be a part of their lives."

Product 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.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Anberlin's New Surrender to a bigger label., October 9, 2008

By	Aaron Levesque (Oxford, England) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Keep in mind I consider Anberlin one of my favorite bands, and while my first impression was not too great, it is growing on me. So forgive the harsh criticism to follow.

This is overall not the effort I would expect from the band that brought us Never Take Friendship Personal and Cities. The music itself isn't all that different, even with the addition of Acceptance's guitarist Christian McAlhaney. In general, I'd say this album is a testimony to the importance of good vocal melodies; Stephen Christian's singing is still amazing as always, but the melodies themselves are sadly unimpressive.

While the re-recorded version of "The Feel Good Drag" is still enjoyable, it is not by any means superior to the version recorded on Never Take Friendship Personal. It appears to be a transparent attempt by the band to ground the album with at least one extremely well-written song. In my opinion, it simply is an blatant indication of how Anberlin's song-writing abilities from the past two albums overshadow the effort of New Surrender.

The biggest problem with the album is how the choruses don't sound nearly as uplifting or catchy as they were on previous albums. The first track is a weak opening for the album, in spite of it's heavier sound, because of this.

Another disappointment is the band's failure to recapture the same magic heard in songs like "Inevitable" (from Cities) and "(the symphony of) blase" (from NTFP). The two ballads on New Surrender, "Retrace" and "Breathe," fall short of expectations.

The last song, "Miserabile Visu (Ex Malo Bonum)" is the epic song a lot of Anberlin fans are looking for. Sadly, I don't feel there is anything epic about it other than the length.

Where the album shines: Breaking, The Feel Good Drag, Younglife, Haight Street (my favorite song on the album), and Breathe.

That said, the album itself is worth a buy for long-time Anberlin fans, but give it time to grow on you.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review from Jesusfreakhideout.com, September 30, 2008

A Kid's Review

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

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A 5 Star Encore to a 6 Star Masterpiece, September 30, 2008

By	Ryan Matthews "montvil" (Clifton, NJ, USA) - See all my reviews

I want to make this as simple as possible for Anberlin fans. This album is not 'Cities', but then again you'd have to compile a damn near perfect album to surpass their last effort. For a first release on a major record label, I'd expect a more pop rock sold out sounding Anberlin, especially since they softened up "Feel Good Drag" from 'NTFP.' Setting aside the God awful Maroon 5 sounding "Retrace" and the somewhat catchy but sugarcoated "Breathe", you're getting almost exactly what you've bargained for with this band: beautiful melodies, soaring vocals and hard rocking anthems.

Tracks Worth Noting:
1. "The Resistance"
2. "Breaking"
5. "Feel Good Drag"
6. "Disappear"
11. "Soft Skeletons"
12. "Miserabile Visu (Ex Malo Bonum)"

The final track mirrors their previous closing efforts ("Dance, Dance, Christa Paffgen" and "(*Fin)"). It's a beautifully structured song, once again running well over 6 minutes and closing the album in style. You don't need a fine tooth comb to break this one down. Anberlin is a band that thrives in every sense of the word Rock, whether it be hard hitting riffs, amplified ballads or unplugged melodies. Their ability to speed up and slow down the album track to track is unparalleled and done with such ease and flow.

'New Surrender' may get scrutinized as it draws comparisons to 'Cities', but any way you look at it you're paying $10 or less for 12 well written, unique and diverse songs. This band never leads you to a dead end. I'm glad I found them.

Grade: A-