Anberlin Never Take Friendship Personal CD

Anberlin: Stephen Christian (vocals, guitar); Joseph Milligan (guitar); Deon Rexroat (bass guitar); Nathan Young (drums).
Additional personnel: Phillip Sneed, Seth Roberts, Ryan Clark (vocals); Mike Weiss (guitar).
Band names are getting dumber and dumber in the Christian rock world, even as the bands get better and better, the guitars bigger and tighter, and the hooks more and more irresistible. All of those trends are epitomized in the sophomore effort by Anberlin, which producer Aaron Sprinkle and engineer J.R. McNeely mixed in such a way as to best approximate the band's ferocious live energy. Try not to be put off by the pretentious song titles ("Audrey, Start the Revolution!," "[the symphony of] blasé," etc.) -- Anberlin is primarily concerned with sweeping you off your feet by means of huge, swooping melodies and rich harmonies, all powered by blunderbuss guitars and tightly structured production. "Paperthin Hymn" is one of the prettiest slabs of guitar rock released in the last ten years; "Stationary Stationery," despite its too-clever-by-half title, is one of the most perfect pop songs of 2004. "Runaways" somehow manages to sound simultaneously like Oingo Boingo and Loverboy -- someday someone is going to have to figure out how they did that. Of this album's 11 tracks, only two are less than brilliant, and only one of those (the superfluous instrumental "Heavy Hearted Work of Staggering Genius," har har) is less than very good. Very highly recommended overall. ~ Rick Anderson
In the liner notes preceding the lyrics to the title track of Anberlin's NEVER TAKE FRIENDSHIP PERSONAL, chief songwriter/lead vocalist Stephen Christian muses "you told me to 'write a song about it' so here's your song." That comment pretty well sums up this Florida outfit, a fiery rock quintet that lives earnestly inside of its songs. Similar to Jimmy Eat World, Anberlin is able to strike a balance between cerebral lyrics and universal observations, between artful compositions and hooky guitar riffs.
Like many of its peers on Tooth & Nail Records, Anberlin comes from a Christian-rock angle, but that trait isn't worn on the band's collective sleeve. While images of saints and sinners abound, only two somber cries for divine help, "Paperthin Hymn" and "(The Symphony Of) Blase," have overt religious tones. Most of the torrentially moving songs within this sophomore effort deal with the universally affecting themes of finding love, knowledge, and peace, and losing them all. Christian's vocals strut with confidence yet break with uncertainty and heartache at every turn. As Christian unfolds his poems of hope and yearning, Anberlin's guitar-fueled rock backs him with the perfect ratio of ebb to flow. With NEVER TAKE FRIENDSHIP PERSONAL, Anberlin hits a comfortable stride that's sure to garner the band even more fans.