A new lineup member, a new producer, and a step up to a major label added up to
Anberlin's best sense of direction yet, and therefore their strongest output in their brief but prolific career. The band collaborated for three months in the studio to craft their Universal Republic debut with producer
Neal Avron, who has helmed projects for
Fall Out Boy,
Yellowcard, and
New Found Glory. Being their fifth album in scarcely six years, spending so much time in the studio had its share of risks involved, particularly with new guitarist
Christian McAlhaney, whose addition made three songwriters in the bunch, generally a recipe for "creative differences." It's pleasing, therefore, to see how well
Anberlin define themselves on this record. Their sound on
New Surrender isn't as much a diversion as it is a realization of their potential to finally seize the full emo spirit in all its glory, as if their high/low, intense-yet-laissez-faire approach to modern rock was simply warming up to this point, which is saying a lot given the quality of songs and the massive following they have carved out over the years. It's not unlike
Mae's progression from the critically acclaimed
The Everglow to
Singularity, where it could be argued that diversity took a back seat to pinpointing their own sound. It worked for
Mae, and it works here for
Anberlin. [This U.K. edition includes the bonus track "A Perfect Tourniquet."] ~ Jared Johnson