anberlin - blueprints for the black market

tooth and nail have got an impressive roster of bands that specialize in 'rock' at the moment; further seems forever, mae, watashi wa and slow coming day are just a few of the bands leading the way, and anberlin are definitely no exception to this trend. 'blueprints for the black market' is an album of extremely listenable, melodic emo-rock songs, comparible to bands like the juliana theory, acceptance, or jimmy eat world (though according to their bio sheet i shouldn't!).
the track which first turned my attention to this band, 'ready fuels', opens this cd, with driving guitar melodies leading into an infectious chorus, it's a great start to the album. it's followed by the just as hooky 'foreign language', a definite summer anthem in the making. the cd then takes a turn for the heavier, with the forceful guitar melodies of 'change the world', and tracks like 'cold war transmissions' showing a more serious edge to the band (the latter sounding like boy sets fire gone emo). then you get tracks like the powerful 'glass to the arson', and keyboard infused 'we dreamt in heist', proving this band can match all the energy and appeal of a drive-thru band.
with ages ranging from 16 to 26, and a band lifespan of just 5 months at the time of writing, this band definetly show a maturity beyond their years. anberlin have a sound that mixes a mature hard rock band (helped in no small part by the vocals of stephen christian), with a sugary, poppy aspect. it's this combination of driving, hard hitting rock riffery and a certain emo-charm, that makes anberlin such an attractive prospect.

matt b

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