Imagine if later-day The Killers were ten times as catchy and, you know, good, and you generally have an idea of what this record sounds like most of the time. During the times it doesn't sound like that, it sounds like top-tier Anberlin, which can't be a bad thing. Devotion is a beefier, better version of Vital, and while the original eleven tracks are definitely highlights here, the added seven are pretty great as well, with the one slip-up coming early in "City Electric". The use of electronics is a nice change of pace from the bare-bones instrumentation of Dark Is The Way, and it helps to give the music an extra dynamic that really works on songs like "God, Drugs, And Sex". Of course, Stephen Christian puts on an expectedly excellent performance, and the pop-sensibilities of the band are as strong as ever as they continue to churn out catchy hook after catchy hook. The fast-paced songs are great, but the songwriting on the slower songs is where they've really shown an improvement, really balancing out everything on this record. Put simply, Devotion is a fun and sometimes even heartwarming effort on all fronts from Anberlin.
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