CITIES - ANBERLIN
“Cities” is a whirlwind tour through the world of driving rock act Anberlin, with producer Aaron Sprinkle again serving as the guide to the band’s adrenaline-fueled endeavors of the heart. The sheer force of first single “Godspeed” destroys the notion that a pop song can’t kick some furious butt if it’s recorded right. Anberlin’s grandiose sound doesn’t go in for excessive playing; even acoustic numbers (”The Unwinding Cable Car,” “Fin”) are crisp and precisely rendered. A softer touch brushes against “Inevitable,” though, as pounding drums, jangling bells and strings abound for the album’s most romantic track. These guys are hardly old, but their lyrics already reflect lost causes, long-ago youth and regrets. “Dismantle. Repair.” unites these themes with a powerhouse production that elevates Anberlin to a plane far above the easier-to-digest boy bands of late. Billboard
