neurological dryer lint

yes you did, brett. you tried to review him. and marsellus wallace don't like to be reviewed by anybody but mrs. wallace:

 anberlin - cities




the third release from these guys, who consistently put out excellent material, didn't wow me on the first listen. i enjoyed godspeed, the first single, which they dropped earlier last month, but nothing really excited me and i was a bit disappointed.

i've learned my lesson, though, on reviewing something before i give it a few spins. a few days and several listens later, i found myself appreciating how the sound matured. the producers stocked up with considerably more synth than in their previous discs - and it fits perfectly. lyrically they seem to explore spiritual concepts a lot more than before... a few tracks - dismantle. repair. and fin are some of the most moving, beautiful songs i've heard in a while, stuff that gets me in a conversational mood with my Creator.

the special edition that i picked up included three bonus tracks - another original, plus two covers - the smiths' there is a light that never goes out, and when in rome's the promise. generally i'm a fan of their covers (their version of love song by the cure from their first disc is excellent), but these two didn't knock me over.

between blueprints for the black market and never take friendship personal these guys grew musically, and the continued process really brought them to a great place with this one. it's like the guys in the band are ninjas - and their skills have sharpened in the last two years. they are far deadlier than before.

really, any time i can use ninjas in my writing, regardless of the context, i feel i've done you, the reader, a service.

they'll be at bogarts on april 3, headlining a show (finally) with bayside. i'm there.

 rise against - the sufferer and the witness




in comparison, this disc knocked me on my face on first listen. i've loved every ounce of stuff i've heard from this band for years, but never bothered to pick up any of their albums... i'm glad i took the plunge here, though - start to finish this is one of the finest punk rock discs i own. tim has unique vocal talent, and he's backed by powerful, vibrant guitar and fairly typical bass and drums. they take the buckshot passion of the soul of the genre and focus it, creating a potent package that makes every track exciting. scratches a different inch than cities, and is just as satisfying.