After the critically acclaimed Cities, Anberlin have seemed somewhat unsure on how to
further evolve and progress as a band. On Vital the band tries to go back to the intricacies
displayed on Cities, while incorporating more synth instrumentation in their sound. It
sounds good on paper, but the reality is more a of mixed bag. When it works, it works
better than ever, as evident on songs such as Modern Age, Innocent and Self-Starter, a
glimpse of what the band is capable at their best. The main problem with Vital however, is
that several songs do not have strong enough melodic quality to keep you continually
interested. Adding synths into the mix does not automatically make a song better, when the
songwriting itself is not strong enough. The result is an uneven album somewhat lacking in
"dynamics", as several choruses are quite a let-down melodically, often creating a kind of
anti-climax(e.g. Other Side, Intensions). Another disappointment is that certain songs,
while strong melodically, are unfortunately somewhat ruined by repetetiveness (e.g. Orpheum
and God, drugs and sex). |
