Anberlin - Cities

They say the third album of a band's career is often a defining moment. In the case of Tooth & Nail vets Anberlin, this is more than the case. With Cities, the band has released their best and most satisfying work to date. Amazingly, and most impressively, the album manages to be so many things at once. It contains some of the darkest songs the band has ever produced ("Dismantle.Repair." and lead single "Godspeed"), but at the same time, churns out some of the most beautiful as well ("The Unwinding Cable Car," "Inevitable," and awe-inspiring closer "(*Fin)"). That the band has somehow found the line between unrelenting rock and haunting, yet often gorgeous melodies is a true testament to how far they've come. They excel at dynamics, too, which gives the record an almost epic feel, most evident in the spectacular "(*Fin)." To put it bluntly, this is a fantastic record, that should find its way to the top of many year's end lists when the time comes. It is truly the first important album of its kind to come out in 2007. [www.anberlin.com]