Sink or Swim
cd reviews
ISSUE: 02/28/07 > A&E > SINK OR SWIM CD REVIEWS
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Anberlin - Cities
In an Alternative Press interview about their new album, Cities, lead vocalist Stephen Christian commented that the lyrics throughout Anberlin’s discography are progressively becoming more adult. “The first album, Blueprints for the Black Market [2003], was childish in the fact that it was Man vs. World. The last album, Never Take Friendship Personal [2005], was Man vs. Man. Cities, however, is Man vs. Self.” With Cities, Anberlin successfully picks up where they left off with Never Take Friendship Personal, and in so doing brings all their best attributes to the table - contagious drum grooves behind infectiously driving guitars and, of course, the unmistakable vocal presence of Stephen Christian. Most importantly, Cities proves that a band can improve upon itself album after album, and that is precisely what Anberlin has done. Highlights of the album include “Adelaide” and “The Unwinding Cable Car,” although every track screams quality and adds to the album’s likeability. The first single off the album, “Godspeed,” was released a month prior to the album release and sums up a focus of the album with the hook line, “They lied when they said the good die young.” Point blank, Cities is the best album of 2007 that I’ve heard and proves that Anberlin is maturing alongside their audience demographic.
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Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity
At a time when most of the music we hear is nothing but overdone, formulaic songwriting created with the intent to exploit and maximize profit, it is relaxing to know that there are still some bands out there that, for lack of a better term, “do it for the music.” Deerhoof is one of those bands. For those who celebrate creativity and innovation, out-of-the-box songwriting and music as a pure art form, the San Francisco-based Deerhoof is sure to be a favorite. Although they’ve lost member Chris Cohen since their last official album, The Runner’s Four (Cohen decided to work on The Curtain full time), the threesome have combined their stylistic and artful talents to create their best work to date, Friend Opportunity. The album, which is best enjoyed by listening through in its entirety, has its upbeat indie-pop moments, but is then followed by dronish songs with complementing vocals by Satomi Matsuzaki. Overall, fans old and new alike are sure to enjoy Friend Opportunity if, for nothing else, the utter complexities of its unconventional song structure and its aesthetic of musicality.
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Patty Griffin - Children Running Through
Griffin’s latest album propelled her to the #34 spot on the Billboard Top 200 chart, the highest debut in her long, successful career. Children Running Through is Griffin at her best, shining with poignant lyrics and bittersweet optimism. The album lacks a uniform tone, instead swinging from jazzy numbers to powerful ballads to her signature sweet, simple songs. Though highlights from the album are definitely “No Bad News,” “Railroad Wings,” and “Up to the Mountain (MLK song),” there really isn’t a tune that fails to please. With her unique and beautiful voice, Griffin never fails to inspire as she wanders from the bottom to the top of her range with ease. If you’re looking for an easygoing album to encourage you through a sad time, cheer you up on a rainy day or just put a smile on your face and get a lovely song stuck in your head, look no further than Children Running Through.
—Melanie Bengtson
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