5-5) Anberlin - Vital (2012)

I've been a fan of Anberlin since their debut album in 2003. However, for the most part they were just a fringe band for me as I didn't ever dislike any of their songs, but only really liked 2-3 off each album. For the groups I follow, I typically proactively purchase the album before listening as I have confidence in the brand name. I figure even if it sucks, I'm supporting their efforts to release more material in the future which there is a fair chance I will enjoy it. This is how I approached their 6th studio album, Vital, released in 2012. I went in without any expectations and came out of it with my album of the year.

Anberlin is a christian rock group who typically sing about relationships, both spiritual and physical. Things are typically peppy and uplifting. With Vital, they went with a deep thing, focused a little more on the keyboard, and then approached more controversial and political topics. The result is intoxicating, and the album takes you through an emotional roller coaster.

Each track stands out and I love many of them, but one in particular which stands out is 'Modern Age'. While this was released in October, I had it loaded up in my IPOD for the next several months, including over Christmas time when the Newtown School shooting occurred. This affected me more now that I'm a parent, but 'Modern Age' seemed to capture all of my emotions of that moment, even though it was written well in advance of the event. It's toward the end of the album, so you have to wait to get there, but it pays off big time.

The suggested listening is 2012's Vital. In 2013, they released 'Devotion' which is an extended version of Vital. In the event you like Vital, you can check out the additional 7 tracks on Devotion as well. However, I doubt you'll listen to either. You all suck.