Songs Once Lost, But Now Found

It seems that in music today they can't go six months without releasing a new project. Whether they're just that insecure, or they just love putting out material seems to still be questioned, but the fans love it, and that's what counts. However, the album is much too scattered to find that you love everything, but rest assured, there will be something.

The album starts off with some of the band's best, with the much-underrated "The Haunting," which was apparently only available on iTunes before this track. As a whole, the track could be the band's best, musically and emotionally. You have to listen to it to know what I've talking about, but the track gets everything right, and leaves you in awe. "Uncanny" was found on the special edition of "Cities" and is also a great song itself, coming off with a great pop/rock vibe. "Downtown Song" also comes off good in it's catchy vibe.

In terms of covers, there's plenty to be had on this record, but their best job is on "Like A Rolling Stone." The lyrics stay intact, but the length is shortened, Steven Christian's vocals add to the experience, and the music absolutely rocks. It's a truly original take on the song, but the same cannot be said for "The Promise," which is less of a cover, and more of a copy. In either case, it doesn't succeed, with Christian's vocals hindering it more than anything. Then there's a cover of Radiohead's "Creep," which wasn't Radiohead's best song to begin with, and this version only amplifies all the song's weaknesses by again, Christian's unique vocals. The acoustic setting and the self-imposed censoring doesn't do the song any favors either.

And I've never heard the originals, but "Enjoy The Silence," and "There is a Light That Never Goes Out," are little bit more than OK. This is also the case with most of the acoustic takes, as they come out little more than OK. "Naive Orleans" is an exception, benefiting greatly from this take. But in the case of "A Day Late," they turn a great rockin' song into a mellow and generally lethargic song that is more for sleeping than anything.

For those yuletide vibes, Anberlin does an excellent job taking the normally softer holiday tune into a pop/rock extravaganza. Then we come to the raw demos, which are truly for the hardcore fan, as they'll know what changes were made between these first cuts and the final tunes. But even if you don't know the originals, they're still rockin', entertaining and fun to listen to. For the 19th track however, somebody was clearly a fan of Super Mario as a kid.

Overall, sure enough you'll find something on this album you'll love. The question is, how much will you love it? If found for $10 or less, then how could you pass that up? There's 19 songs on the album, so you know you're getting your money's worth. For Anberlin fans alike and not alike, check this one out.

Did I also mention that they're basically my hometown band?