Anberlin
Vital

Anberlin is the classic band that, even if they wrote an epoch-making album, would remain overlooked by most. For the record, Stephen Christian's band has written 2 such albums ("Dark is the Way, Light is a Place" and "Never Take Friendship Personal"), and yet they still do not enjoy the global fame that is afforded to bands that, I won’t say suck, but are less deserving - yes.

"Vital" comes exactly 2 years after the previous (and already mentioned) "Dark is the Way, Light is a Place," a simply perfect album and a manifesto of the artistic maturity of the Florida combo. With this album there's a slight step back to the elaborate sound of "Cities" (another gem of an album), with edgy guitars, killer singles, tear-jerking ballads, and many other contaminations of the basic rock sound, which never clash and fit perfectly within the Anberlin system. If "Vital" were a house, it would be one of those mansions belonging to the rich, elegant and welcoming but with an aggressive soul, varied in its furnishings but essential in its being. Speaking of more concrete examples, the initial trio perfectly represents what can be found within the album: "Self Starter" is the devastating opening track that Stephen Christian and company usually gift us with each of their works, "Little Tyrants" is the classic super rock track, while "Other Side" is the romantic ballad that acts as a watershed between punches.

The overall level of the album, even after just 3 tracks, is very high.

The rest of the listening offers a succession of faster tracks and slower, calmer ones. Perhaps the latter is the best, given Mr. Christian's delicate voice, which adapts perfectly to all circumstances, but reaches its peak of beauty in episodes like "Innocents" (featuring a soft base characterized by heavy use of keyboards) and the magnificent "Type Three" (a crescendo ballad that in the first half vaguely recalls "The Unwinding Cable Car"). As for the more rock tracks, undoubtedly worth mentioning, in addition to the already mentioned songs, there is the beautiful "Desires" (with its all-powerful refrain) and the epic "Modern Age." Other delightful surprises come from "Intentions," a mid-tempo rock that rests on a spot-on electro base reminiscent of Depeche Mode, and "Orpheum," a piano-rock track that reminds us how the influence of Anchor & Braille, the singer's side project, has definitely been felt. It remains to mention only the closing "God, Drugs & Sex," which is nothing more than the usual excellent closure that Anberlin gives us at every album. In short: if you had previously loved gems like "(*fin)" or "Dance, Dance Christa Paffgen," this new song is bread for your teeth. Also worth noting is the presence of a female voice (Christie DuPré of Eisley), which adds warmth and sweetness to the track.

Moving on to the technical side of the songs, the most noticeable difference between "Vital" and its predecessor "Dark is the Way, Light is a Place" is the choruses: indeed, now the refrains are once again sung with full phrases, unlike the previous album where the song title was repeated multiple times, as happened, for example, in "Closer," "We Owe This to Ourselves," or "You Belong Here."

It seems impossible, but the quality of the more politically charged and 'social' lyrics has also improved (read the chorus of "Little Tyrants"), while the more emotional tracks give us some of the most beautiful quotes of the last few years (above all, in "Type Three" the verse "Maybe I just wanna hold something that was never meant to be mine. I look to Heaven to save me! And you call me naive. Rather be a hopeless lover, then cursed with disbelief" stands out).

To sum it all up in a few words, "Vital" is undoubtedly a phenomenal album, a work that should continue Anberlin's consecration into the ranks of the charts (a process already started a few years ago with the remastering of "Feel Good Drag" included in "New Surrender"), thanks to a handful of stunning songs that will manage to win over even the most skeptical listeners after several listens. Here's the thing, perhaps the only limitation of Anberlin is Stephen Christian's voice, a distinctive and recognizable voice among thousands, but which for precisely this reason can be liked or not.

This does not take away from the effectiveness of "Vital," competing with Mumford & Sons, Spector, Fun., and Hot Chip for the accolade of best album of 2012.

At least for me.

RATING: 9 (out of 10)