It has been 10 years since Anberlin released their swansong record “Lowborn” on Tooth & Nail Records and what do we have here: their first full length after quitting. As one of the shining lights in the alternative rock world from a Christian vantage point back in the 00s, Anberlin making music is quite welcome news for legions of fans around the world. The question is: do they still have it?

To determine that, I needed to get a baseline for myself. Checking out a couple of their CDs from the library, I got a pulse on their earlier sound while reading up on their history. The band started as a punk band named SaGoh 24/7 in the late 90s but changed musical direction, signing with Tooth & Nail Records as Anberlin in 2002. They released three albums in their meteoric rise with Tooth & Nail, landing a major label contract in 2007. After another trio of albums and touring with headliner status, they returned to Tooth & Nail to release “Lowborn” in 2014. But you can’t keep a good band down. In 2018, they played concerts and started touring again. They released two EPs on Equal Vision Records: “Silverline” in 2022 and “Convinced” in 2023. “Vega” shuffles these two EPs with two new songs that feature their new touring vocalist Matty Mullins (Memphis May Fire).

“Vega” takes on a darker, heavier tone compared to their earlier records with rich post-rock textures. There is a maturity to their sound that shows experimentation with a focus on emotional exposition over musical showmanship. The music goes in and out of focus while building and releasing emotional tension in the smoky layers of electronics, instruments, voice, and reverb. When the music is in focus, it recalls the earlier sound of Anberlin, but the ethereal elements remind me of long-forgotten 80s pop songs.

Although this is a collection of three different recordings, they are blended to produce a coherent album that starts in a viscerally disturbed state in “Animals” moving toward an ethereal resolution in “Nothing More.” There is pervading pop sensibility to melody and rhythm that will appeal to the long-term fans even through thick post-rock textures. There are many moments that feel quite dreamlike such as “Asking” that reminds me of Silent Skies. This helps drive the emotional focus of the album which sees the band embracing intense hardcore vocals in the darker moments.

Although the harmonic coloring feels somewhat muted, the songs are very catchy. The album opener, “Animals,” has an infectious industrial-rock beat and imaginative chord progressions that keeps playing in my head hours after listening. “Circles” makes great use of dynamics and musical foreshadowing. The chorus makes use of a cloud of vocalists, which is a technique used throughout the album. “Banshee” has a soft atmospheric texture with a solid melody that I particularly enjoyed, very reminiscent of U2. The rhythm has a dance quality that moved the song forward in contrast to the syncopated rhythms in the previous songs. I particularly liked the stretched sense of tonality in “Two Graves” with the use of added tones in the underlying chords. The development section sounded like a sound track for gazing into space.

But there were two songs that I think best exemplify the new Anberlin sound. “Walk Alone” is my favorite and oddly enough the most simple. The song is high energy with a driving rhythm, catchy chorus and comforting lyrics that never fails to pick me up. Matty’s vocals blend well with the other Stephen Christian songs, which helps with the cohesiveness of the album. The closer “Nothing More” has a tenderness to it like two lovers that melt into each other in vulnerability like the soul into God. The outro has a jazzy jam session with noodling guitar, saxophone and vibraphone that is the “last word” on the album.

My only complaint is that this is repackaging prior material with two new songs. For those that have the two EPs, they may have already been doing this without the two new Matty Mullins songs. I have listened through “Vega” several times and find it quite comforting like a blanket on a cool autumn evening, but I have a hard time saying this is a landmark release for the genre. It doesn’t touch me intellectually, but rather stirs my emotions to turn the soul towards Hope in the midst of a vagabond existence on Earth. I for one am glad that I got the chance to review this album and would recommend it for intrepid listeners who’re not afraid of their feelings.

Rating: 8.5/10

Written by Sean Bailey

Tracklist
1 – Animals
2 – Seven
3 – Circles
4 – Lacerate
5 – Banshee
6 – Nothing Lost
7 – Walk Alone
8 – Two Graves
9 – Decoder
10 – Asking
11 – Body Language
12 – Nothing More

Anberlin is:
Stephen Christian – lead vocals, keyboards
Deon Rexroat – bass
Joseph Milligan – lead guitar, backing vocals
Nathan Young – drums
Christain McAlhaney – rhythm guitar, backing vocals

Guest:
Matty Mullins – vocals on “Seven” and “Walk Alone”

Release Date: August 2, 2024

Record Label: Equal Vision Records

Discography:
Blueprints for the Black Market (2003)
Never Take Friendship Personal (2005)
Cities (2007)
New Surrender (2008)
Dark Is the Way, Light Is a Place (2010)
Vital (2012)
Lowborn (2014)
Silverline – EP (2022)
Convinced – EP (2023)
Vega (2024)

Social Media: Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Spotify | Bandcamp

Videos:

Video for Seven

Video for Walk Alone