Reviews

Anberlin signed to Tooth and Nail in 2002, determined to fight their way through the explosion of bands like Taking Back Sunday and Thursday. They were a bunch of Floridians with a charming determination to make themselves stand out from their seemingly untouchable predecessors. However, it’s 2005 now and it’s clear that Anberlin have done quite well for themselves. The reason for this of course is pretty much being in the right place at the right time and ending up as the product of a dreary-eyed teenage populations’ demand for high-powered emo punk.  Nothing against the genre of course, it ’s good for what it is and it obviously makes money.  “Never Take Friendship Personal” is an album for the all the wounded lost souls that continuously search for new ways to express their emotional disarray. 
 
Anberlin uses their southern charm combined with a few kicks and hooks, plus Aaron Sprinkle’s experienced production to come out with an overall decent sophomore album. The title track to this release is an anthem, without a doubt.  It’s a sing-a-long tune perfectly crafted to raise metal horns high into the air. It’s original and exciting yet not altogether jaw dropping.  “Paperthin Hymn” reminds me of one of those radio tunes by Seether or Hoobastank or some pathetically tragic rock band like that.  Not to say that’s bad, I can absolutely see this song making radio play, but it’s one of those songs that will get the shit played out of it and end up on one of those Now That’s What I Call Music compilations and years down the road be one of those tunes we roll our eyes at and wish we never stayed up all night for so long unable to sleep because we can’t stop humming along to its dangerously catch chorus.  I thoroughly enjoyed “Blasé,” with its soothing melodies and impeccably sung vocals.  Actually, I can’t say enough good things about this song; I think it’s stunning.  Another likeable track is “The Feel Good Drag,” perhaps the hardest sounding song on here.
 
The artwork on this album is intriguing and in a way, deceiving.  The colors blue and silver are normally symbolic of serenity and peacefulness, yet this album, with the exception of a slight ballad, is full of energy, bordering on fury. The reoccurring image of the statue is impressive in its artistic content.  Getting past all my mindless cynicism regarding emocore culture, this album is absolutely aesthetically pleasing. It sounds a lot like Acceptance’s album “Black Lines To Battlefields,” in some areas, but in others, very much like Taking Back Sunday in their golden days.  There are no songs on here that you can’t most likely find a hundred clones of, but put altogether, they make for an infectious eleven songs.