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#8. Anberlin
Cities
Release Date: February 20, 2007
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It's hard to believe 11 years have passed since the release of what many fans consider to be the best album of Anberlin's career, Cities. While the band has since called it quits (with no intentions to return, save for a live show reunion or two), their discography is well worth returning to again and again, and Cities still stands out.
From the opener, "Godspeed," to the epic closer, "(*Fin)," Cities is a rich and layered collection of songs. "Adelaide" has the kind of drum beat that turns listeners into wanna-be drummers; "A Whisper & A Clamor" makes us want to clap our hands and sing along; and "Hello Alone" taps into those melancholy, lonely feelings that plague so many of us. Adding to the emotional journey that is Cities, "The Unwinding Cable Car" is a lovely acoustic ballad, "Alexithymia" is that song titled in such a way that whenever you hear it again, you're likely to go "Oh yeah! That song! I love that one, too!", while "Dismantle. Repair." passionately plucks all those heartstrings that tug on the idealized "what if's" of a romantic, emotional connection that got away, and the self-reflection that such turmoil of the heart can lead to (this is probably my favorite of the many highlights on this album, and one of my top Anberlin songs).
Fun fact: when we received the pre-release for Cities some weeks before the album came out, it not only did NOT have the song "There Is No Mathematics To Love And Loss" on it, but "(*Fin)" was almost 3 minutes shorter. It faded out at 6 minutes and 20 seconds, while the finished version swings back in and tacks on a haunting additional vocal piece from Stephen Christian. To this day, the extended piece, as well as the entire track "There Is No Mathematics To Love And Loss," don't seem to fit on the album to me, but it's an unusual circumstance that most listeners probably would never know for themselves. (Furthermore, if I were to rate this album again, I'd probably bump it up to at least 4.5, if not higher...)
- John DiBiase
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From the moment “Debut” starts and leads into “Godspeed,” you can tell that you are not going to find a better Anberlin album. Stephen Christian’s vocals and lyrical content are at their best while being laid over an amazing and emotionally-draining album. Songs such as “Dismantle. Repair.,” “A Whisper & a Clamor,” and “Hello Alone” are songs of epic proportions. This is one of the best Anberlin albums ever released and one that should still be played regularly.
- Kevin Hoskins
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