It's not every day I hear such a poppy, radio-ready, great-for-driving modern rock album as the one I have before me today.

It's also not every day that I hear the debut record of a young band with such baffling lyrics as this one.

But how can these statements be simultaneously true? Well, that's the beauty of Anberlin's music. The five-piece group has been together for little more than a year now, somehow snagging the attention of Tooth & Nail Records and having time to record an album during that short time. This didn't allow for as much buzz time as your average new artist gets when coming out on a "Christian" record label, and thus there hasn't been as much of a chance to overhype what is, in essence, just a fun and intriguing rock album. As a matter of fact, the lack of hype might help those who discover Anberlin to appreciate them a little bit more. They're not exactly what you'd expect. They come from the Tooth & Nail camp but I wouldn't label them punk or emo. They're young and they're Christians, but they don't settle for a mindless lyrical approach. They've got some definite 80's influences but I wouldn't label them as retro revivalists or anything.

It's tough to nail down exactly what kind of band Anberlin is, most likely because I'm not up-to-date on the nomenclature of all of the sub-sub-genres of rock music these days. They seem to play it rather straight, without laying on a ton of weird guitar effects or oddball chord progressions. There certainly isn't a trace of the post-grunge or rap influence that dominates most of what younger rock bands are doing these days. Their influences are probably not that hard to name if you listened to some of the more cryptic bands that came out in the 80's (I didn't, so I'm just guessing here). I would assume that The Cure is among these influences, since they covered one of the band's songs, but I could be wrong there. Among modern bands, the most readily available comparison I can think of would be The Juliana Theory. If you liked the straight-up rock sounds of TJT's major label debut, but you prefer for your vocalists to be less sneering and more quirky, then you'll probably take a liking to Anberlin's frontman Stephen Christian. And if you don't mind when a rock album sprints from start to finish without so much as a solitary ballad, then Blueprints for the Black Market will put a smile on your face.

Oh, and don't go into this expecting the usual content of a "Christian rock" album. Like many of the more notable Tooth & Nail bands, Anberlin uses their experience as Christians to give perspective to songs written about life situations that we all deal with. The difference with Anberlin is that it's harder to figure out what those experiences are to begin with, due to the enigmatic lyrics. So unless you abhor any reference to God whatsoever in your music, you're not likely to be turned off by anything Anberlin has to say here.

Ready Fuels
This car turned over without a key or gasoline tonight
Feel everything on fire and I'm dressed to kill
Killing for your dress goodnight...
One of the first things you'll notice about Anberlin is that while they do rely on rhythm guitar to drive the majority of their songs, they generally don't allow a song to be a mindless wall of predictable power chords. The fast picking pattern that characterizes this song is a fine example of that - it lends a hurried urgency to a lyric which describes a frustrating battle with lust. This is an area where most Christian bands would fall flat on their faces by stating the obvious. (I don't think it's been handled well since The Normals dropped "Black Dress" three years ago.) In Anberlin's hands, it becomes a realistic portrait of what us guys have to go through, having our engines start up against our will at times and knowing that we have to keep our jets cool until we're hitched. To acknowledge the struggle without giving way to the urge is a tricky thing, and this is why the subtle, poetic approach works here - blink and you might miss the metaphor amidst the punchy drum fills and the blazing guitar solo. But there Stephen is in the middle of it, urging his too-sexy-for-her-own-good lover: "Can you wait for me a little longer?"

Foreign Language
Where did we go wrong?
We need medication for this miscommunication...
If Anberlin has any punk influence, this would be the track where they let it show through the most. Of course, that's punk as filtered through many, many years of eager youngsters making punk into pop, and as such, this is where a more mature-sounding band falters a little bit. First of all, the lyrics are repetitive, taking a decent metaphor of guys and girls speaking different languages and running it into the ground with a repeated verse. The "doo-doo-doo-doo"s are an example of the 80's influence that works so well for this band, making the song resemble a number of inane radio hits from that era. But the song comes across as either mean-spirited (if you take Stephen seriously when he signs "Boys speak in rhythm, and girls just lie"), or a really lame attempt at being funny that doesn't fit an otherwise serious band. Either way, they come off sounding a lot like a poor man's Relient K on this track.

Change the World (Lost Ones)
The bottle holds no answers, his lips can only sway
Chemicals imbalance, who needs them anyway?
Based on the song's title, you'd probably expect something as bland and cliché as, well, P.O.D.'s song of the same name. Fortunately, Anberlin's little ode to standing up and making a difference is a little less straightforward than that, using their knack for cryptic verse to build up to a chorus that makes you wonder exactly what is in such urgent need of changing. And why are the people changing the world "the lost ones"? Curioser and curioser. Some low-end riffing combined with slick harmonics makes the listener thankful that the band knows how to make good use of its two guitarists, and the picking during the verses is memorable in a Tool-goes-pop sort of way, if that makes any sense at all.

Cold War Transmissions
Your spies come clean, they told me everything...
If an album title like Blueprints for the Black Market would lead you to expect a subversive concept album about spies and espionage, then this is probably the type of song you'd expect to find on such an album. While the music follows a "muscle pop" motif resembling the previous track, the lyrics shift back to the topic of relationships, by way of a covert secret agent metaphor. Stephen is speaking to a fellow spy - and a female one at that - urging her to get back to safe territory before she is exposed as a double agent. "This is Russian radio here", he sings during the chorus. "Run while you still can." Even though the metaphor isn't as hard to see through here as it is on a few other songs, that doesn't stop the band from throwing in a truly baffling line like "Penance the fire drake". Seems like someone is a student of the Michael Stipe school of songwriting, doesn't it?

Glass to the Arson
Calm me with your lies, your simple tragedy
It's all I wish to hear tonight...
This is one of those songs where I just have to exclaim "OH MAN, THIS FRIGGIN' ROCKS!!!" and bang my head around like a blooming idiot. Starting off with some muted guitar strumming and Stephen singing part of the chorus in a low tone, it comes crashing in the very best way with a fiery guitar riff that jumps from high to low as if it were nothing. I hate to make this comparison, because the band doesn't sound like Linkin Park, but you know those high-pitched guitar sounds that break in right between the verse and chorus during "One Step Closer"? That's the same sort of sound that Anberlin's guitarist use to whip this baby into a frenzy. Stephen Christian comes his closest to sounding like The Juliana Theory's Brett Detar during the verses when he barks out the lyrics in a rather militant fashion while an acidic drum-and-cymbal rhythm keeps time behind him. Out of all the songs on this record, this would have to be one of the most baffling. I know that an arson is a person who sets fires, but I have no idea what the deeper meaning is here. Someone is being called out as a liar, it would seem, but Stephen also seems to admit that those lies are somewhat comforting. (Now I'm making it sound like a Chevelle song - come to think of it, the drums remind me a bit of that song. Let's see how many other big-name modern rocks acts I can work in here!) The chilling climax of the song comes when Stephen snarls, "We are the arsons who start all of your fires, burning your cities down!" (This is an especially creepy prospect when you live in Southern California.) It's not every day you hear such a gut-level rocker as this that also has enough of a lyrical puzzle to make you keep coming back to it, so enjoy this one while you can!

The Undeveloped Story
Cancel your black subscription, I'm nowhere near a cigarette...
Compared to the last track, anything would feel like the band was backing off a bit at this point, but no worries, this track is still rock solid. It may not have a riff that stands out as much, but what makes it stand out in my mind is the use of a cowbell (definitely an under appreciated percussion instrument) and the repeated phrase "Dance all night!", which seems to reminds me of some song that I'm probably too young to remember. (Don't you hate it when that happens?) Normally I would find such a phrase to be a lyrical copout, but in the context of the mysterious words surrounding it, it seems to take on a double meaning. Once again, I'm having a tough time making heads or tails of the song, but a few subtle references seem to indicate that it might be about some form of addiction, especially when Stephen mentions that "It's ten past two, and I'm still working on forty." That would seem to indicate another struggle of flesh and spirit, like in "Ready Fuels", but perhaps dealing with a substance this time out as opposed to a sexual urge. Just a guess on that one - that's the best I can do on a lot of these songs.

Autobahn
And the stereo sings our song
We don't hesitate just sing along...
Now, if you want a fun, summery driving song, forget that "Foreign Language" crap and come on over here. "Autobahn" has got the goods, shifting focus temporarily from the electric guitar to a shiny synthesizer and a subtle acoustic guitar strum in the background. Road trip fanatics such as myself should be able to relate to this tale of a young couple "Driving just as fast as we can", as if they're desperate to get out of a city they've been trapped in for too long. There's a definite sense of needing to get away from something and needing to keep a secret from getting out - the otherwise romantic mood is briefly interrupted when Stephen urges his companion, "Shut your mouth girl, no one has to know." That makes me wonder what it is that he thinks they've gotten away with - it's as if they're a modern Bonnie & Clyde or something. And then of course there's the line " I swear we're in a movie, the highlight comes when you kiss me." Somehow it's romantic without being 100% predictable.

We Dreamt in Heist
You can hide the money, I'll mark an X
I am above the law and you're the order
You make everything make sense...
So we dealt with arsonists, and now we're dealing with thieves! Interesting. This song seems to be a logical follow-up to the last one, extending the couple's getaway into nightfall, with Stephen assuring his partner in crime and romance, "I'll try to stay awake as long as I can", likely so that they can drive throughout the night and make it to the Mexican border by morning. (I love how he stretches the word "try-y-y" into multiple syllables here.) The album's title seems to come into play here as he explains that "This is a black market reformation". I have no clue what it's all about, but something's telling me that this song should be used in an episode of Alias.

Love Song
Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am young again...
This would be that little homage to The Cure that I mentioned earlier. With an indelible 80's backbeat, a brooding synth line in the background, a lovely piano that comes trickling in part way through, and simple lyrics of devotion, the song is a definite change from the overall mood of the CD. This doesn't mean that it's a bad fit, though, since Anberlin can skip from 80's inspired modern rock to a full-fledged 80's cover without missing a beat. I can't speak to the quality of this cover as compared to the original, but I do know that it's an enjoyable tune, and I think the addition of keyboards is something that Anberlin could use to change up their sound a little more in the future, since a few of the songs leading up this one were starting to bleed into one another stylistically.

Cadence
Burning, like Joan of Arc to see you, just to feel you...
Rhythmically speaking, this would be the one song on the album where the band changes their approach. It's still in 4/4, but the guitars and drums employ more of jittery, stop-start feel during the verses, before settling into a more relaxed chorus. This is the one song on the record that specifically mentions God, since the song is about a person who helps Stephen to feel "closer to finding God". It's a romantic song on its basic level, but it works due to the slightly unconventional wording that it employs, and due to the hint of the romance leading to something that transcends the giddy "boy in love" feelings. I often feel that one way people can most easily connect to God is through understanding each other, especially in the context of love and marriage, so it's no surprise that I would feel a kinship with this song.

Naïve Orleans
Come and go now as you please
Your actions write the melodies...
The final track on the album manages to trick us into thinking it's a ballad, with its gentle drum programming leading the way and Stephen's softspoken verses. But before you know it, the chorus breaks in and the band is back to their melodically rocking ways. "I finally found that life goes on without you", Stephen declares, "And my world still turns when you're not around." So this one isn't a love song, so much as it is a survival song. It's as if he realized the girl had a purpose in his life even if she wasn't meant to be with him forever. I really like the line "Your actions write the melodies" - it seems to recapture a theme of music providing a soundtrack to a relationship that surfaced in "Autobahn", and it helps to bring a bit of closure to the album, even if I'm still not sure what all of the criminal/spy lingo had to do with anything. (It warrants further investigation.) It might seem like the album is ending a bit soon when everything falls away, leaving only the programmed rhythm to sign off on behalf of the band, and perhaps a ballad or two might have helped to give the album some variance, but then again, if ballads aren't a band's strong suit, I suppose we shouldn't twist their arms into writing any.

Even if Anberlin could stand to change the music up a little more, they've got a darn good musical base to build off of. And even if they have their one gander at a pop/punk hit that went south, they still come up with great songs overall. Unfortunately, I think they'll get overlooked by a lot of people simply due to the market they're in, where they seem straight-faced in comparison to purposefully goofy bands like Relient K or more "emo" bands like Further Seems Forever (both of whom they've toured with recently). It may be that a band like this would be better understood in the mainstream - and as we know, starting out on Tooth & Nail isn't a bad place for a band to be should they ever decide to go in that direction. Of course, that's under the stipulation that being in the mainstream wouldn't require them to write more transparent lyrics. Regardless of that, Anberlin is off to a great start, securing a spot as one of the best new artists to debut in 2003 (and there seem to have been more good ones than usual this time around!), and possibly even as a last-minute entry in my year-end Top Ten Albums list. (I'll get back to you on that one in a few weeks.)

ALBUM WORTH:
Readyfuels $2
Foreign Language $.50
Change the World (Lost Ones) $1
Cold War Transmissions $1.50
Glass to the Arson $2
The Undeveloped Story $1.50
Autobahn $1.50
We Dreamt in Heist $.50
Love Song $1.50
Cadence $1
Naïve Orleans $1
TOTAL: $14

Band Members:
Stephen Christian: Lead vocals
Joseph Milligan: Guitar
Joey Bruce: Guitar
Deon Rexroat: Bass
Nathan Young: Drums
Website: http://www.anberlin.com

Great Music to Play While: Driving just as fast as you can.

Recommended: Yes