Anberlin: Lowborn

Anberlin have been around for quite a while now: since forming in 2002, they’ve put out six albums, two EPs and have toured the world multiple times. They’ve also completely flown under my radar until now, which is a damn shame as Lowborn is their seventh and final album.
When a band breaks up, it’s usually a sudden, unexpected implosion, but with Anberlin it’s clearly been a well thought-out process and a case of going out on top. Lowborn makes for a great swansong; while its songs have a melancholic tinge, there’s also energy galore – track four, ‘Velvet Covered Brick’, is like a punch to the face. It’s alt-rock at its finest, really; every song is meticulously crafted, and the boys from Florida have taken great steps to ensure that their final album is memorable.
Even the most low-key songs build to an awesome crescendo – ‘Birds of Prey’ builds from a quiet, synth-driven melody to a soaring, arena-rock climax that would be amazing to see live. As a whole, the album is really solid – there isn’t a single song that I would class as inferior.
The final track, ‘Harbinger’, is like a synth-driven lullaby; Anberlin’s final farewell is atmospheric, melancholic and emotionally charged. The band has done their best to make the album stand out, and it certainly does. What more could you want from a farewell?
Excellently constructed, emotional and intense tracks make for one hell of an album, well worth a spot in your collection.
Out now via Tooth & Nail Records
By Alastair McGibbon