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Soaring choruses and a gigantic production quality in music always seem to make me think, "Wow, this stuff would be great for a movie soundtrack." Anberlin's music on "Blueprints For The Black Market" is no exception. Layers upon layers of vocal melodies, a powerful lead vocal performance, and thunderous percussion that adds the beef to this musical stew, make Anberlin's energetic, sometimes heavy, sometimes soft, but always slick music, fairly engrossing and memorable.
Drifting between a sound that is reminiscent of Boy Sets Fire's more accessible rock moments and a lighter pop-rock style akin to Jimmy Eat World, Anberlin's take on a genre that may appeal to radio listeners is surprisingly easy to digest. There are songs on "Blueprints For The Black Market" that could, without a doubt, receive play on the radio airwaves, especially the heavier songs like "Glass To The Arson," while others follow a brighter approach with bouncier guitars and some terribly infectious vocal hooks. The guitar parts range from clean, swirling strumming to distorted power chords and delicate guitar solos. There are plenty of subtleties that truly enhance this disc's replay value, and listening to this with some decent headphones unveils even more tastefully placed layers of music.
Songs like "Autobahn" reflect Anberlin's more personal, softer side, as the guitars are much quieter and devoid of any heaviness. The driving percussion and addition of some keyboard work for additional texture benefit this song, as well as the other softer tunes, helping them actually stand out amongst the remaining songs. The general formula of memorable choruses, mid-paced percussion and catchy guitar melodies isn't forgotten at many points, which helps give "Blueprints For The Black Market" a feeling of focus, but the moments of extra variety are much appreciated.
It wouldn't surprise me to see Anberlin playing some arena shows in their future, as this music would sound wondrous if pumped out of some gigantic speakers. Not extreme by any means, but avoiding too much restraint, Anberlin's music sounds like something that would provide some additional life to the lacking radio waves. For anyone who really enjoyed the softer songs on Boy Sets Fire's latest offering ("Tomorrow Come Today"), I highly suggest that you check out Anberlin. As for any other fans of slightly radio-friendly, poppy rock music, Anberlin's well-performed, and accessible but original music should come off as completely appealing.
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