Anberlin Band • Page 136

As different as New Surrender is to the fandom, I’m all about that album. That was the first one that I listened to unfettered by anyone wide and really grabbed onto it personally. Every past that as well, hope they do the rest

 

New Surrender has a few good songs, but that album was heavily rushed and the major label hampered them greatly. The only reason it sold well was how much they pushed Feel Good Drag on radio and other markets.

The band has even talked about how they were disappointed with that whole album making experience...

 

I dont get how people dont like that album. All of their albums are good or great and so much better than many of their peers.

 

I always struggle with stuff like New Surrender. I love it, and it means a whole lot to me. If it’s not my favorite record of theirs, it’s probably my most listened to. And, I think it was a turning point for their writing - to me, the three T&N records are also pretty same-y sonically and even lyrically to a point (note: I love those albums so much. I’m not saying they’re bad. I’m just saying they all feel like three parts to one thing). I think NS on, the band made a point to be a lot more diverse in their writing.

On the other hand, man have they just never said anything good about the album. The band just seems to hate it so much. It’s weird to love a piece of art - and want to defend it - when the artists themselves don’t, and won’t. It’s just a weird feeling to feel so differently than they do about it. And it sorta sucks because those will just never be songs they play live or want anything to do with moving forward.

 

I get it even if I tend not to care too much about what the artists think about their own art, or at least not let it deter my own enjoyment. Theirs can't be separated from the writing / recording process and everything else that went into the era like the marketing aspect (and the pressure for the record to sell well) or the reception the songs then got live. If any of these things didn't pan out as they expected, I understand them being mixed about this album.

Perhaps it now has a bigger audience than it had back then. It's not my favorite, but it contains a few highlights that, like you said, show they were diversifying their sound. I'm not sure which New Surrender songs got played, but I remember rewatching the Daily Habit sessions from that time a lot. It'd be cool to hear them again.

 

well according to setlist.fm the only ones to never be played live are Breathe, Soft Skeltons & Miserabile Visu (Ex Malo Bonum)

 

this is setlist.fm's play counts for that album:

• Feel Good Drag (460)
• The Resistance (352)
• Breaking (177)
• Disappear (144)
• Retrace (24)
• Haight Street (13)
• Younglife (5)
• Blame Me! Blame Me! (2)
• Burn Out Brighter (Northern Lights) (1)

That Feel Good Drag number includes the NTFP plays which according the site only accounts for 30 of them.

 

new surrender is very good

 

Just started the Cities replay. Such a shame that they again stepped up the production value of the performance only to have the framerate for the entire stream totally messed up.

 

Even with the background of New Surrender, it holds a special place in my heart.

 

Major Label album is always a really loaded one for bands from the scene, it seems

 

So frustrating. They gave more attention to having matching outfits than production quality...

 

I wouldn't pin the poor framerate on the band. They obviously aren't handling the production themselves. It's on whoever they have on payroll for that task. The group probably didn't know about it until it was over. The mistake was probably as simple as selecting the wrong preset from a dropdown in OBS. A bummer to be sure.

Side note: The NOFX show maxed out at 540p, which is almost just as bad.

 

For sure. I agree.

 

How was the show otherwise? Debating on watching it before it’s pulled. Anberlin are one of my all time favorites but I was thinking of sticking to the later releases. NTFP was cool amd I’ll revisit it but a bit underwhelming if I’m being honest with myself.

 

I consider myself a passive Anberlin fan for the most part, but I randomly decided to do a discog run through and found myself becoming far more invested than I expected.

I especially appreciate the fact that most, if not all, of their album openers hit hard.

 

Got an email that the NTFP livestream was updated but haven’t had a chance to get to my laptop to check if it’s available for download, is it actually released? How’s it sound for anyone whose listened?

 

I can't think of a band with more consistent opening songs.

 

Yes, the download is now available. Sounded good to me, but I just spot checked a few tracks.

 

It’s been a minute since I’ve dove into anything anberlin but this season always brings an itch

 

Same. I think it's muscle memory from my soccer years. They were a staple on warm-up playlists back then.

 

Same lol but I also think the later records are good seasonal picks too. Lowborn and vital are not as moody as cities but of a similar ilk

 

The “We are the lost ones” recording of Blueprints for the Black Market is now on Spotify, for your listening pleasure

 

New livestream called Paper Tigers is scheduled. New Surrender front to back.