
It's Friday night, and your jeans are tight.
It's time to go see Great White.
You didn't know how rock-n-roll looked
Until you caught your sister with the guys from the group
Halfway home in the parking lot
By the look in her eye she was giving what she got
Seems like their set is a bit short... Your voice isn't even hoarse yet! What's this... They aren't even the headliner?! Some Christian band called Stryper is headlining this thing? Dude, time to go smoke a doob in the parking lot.
Fast forward to sometime around 2007, and I watched a hot dude - minus the mullet - experience a similar reaction when Bayside performed as one of the openers for Anberlin. I think someone made him stay and slow dance as Anberlin covered "Creep" as their closing song... He must have been in love. But to this day, he can't stand Anberlin. All because they headlined a show instead of one of his favorites.
You didn't know Anberlin was a Christian band? Well, most people don't. For awhile they seemed not-entirely-sure how comfortable they were with that identity, to tell you the truth. Anberlin experienced their first major airplay on Christian radio, such as Air-1.

There is a strong sound to this band. The long and short of this album review post is going to be thus: "any distaste for them is undeserved." That's all I have for you today. I must be distracted by late 1980's hairstyles.
Check out the video for "Godspeed" of their 2007 album Cities:
New Surrender, the band's most recent release, is their first to be recorded on a major label. And they appear proud of what they've done, elevating themselves past writing about holding hands toward the issues and struggles they see in their lives and the lives around them. Case in point, lyrics from track 8 "Burn Out Brighter (Northern Lights)".
[Anberlin - Burn Out Brighter]
And much to the dismay of loser radio jocks everywhere, I am pretty sure that the song "Feel Good Drag" currently in heavy rotation is not about drugs. It wasn't even funny the first time, unless you're thirteen. If I hear another dj suck in his breath dramatically while announcing this song, I just might show up and punch him in the neck. You're on notice. You sound like an idiot.
You can support the indie label Tooth & Nail by checking out Anberlin's earlier albums, or grab the new one out on Universal Republic. Just clickety-click below.
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