2009 Album of the Year

2009 has come to a close, which means that it is time to announce my album of the year? And the winner is...

Anchor & Braille - Felt. I wrote a review on it earlier in the year, so I wont take too much time telling you about it again. You should know, however, that the more I listen to it, the better it gets. I was critical of some parts in my review, but the amazingly crafted music has overcome these small shortcomings. If you haven't check out this album yet, you should do so now.

I also want to give a runner up for the year: David Crowder Band - Church Music. This guy never fails to put out amazing music, and this album is a true masterpiece. Check out a review at Jesusfreakhideout.com or buy it on Amazon.

Album Review: Anchor & Braille - Felt

It only takes a quick look back into the archives of this blog to see that I've been waiting in eager anticipation for the release of Anchor & Braille's debut album "Felt" for a while. While the album was released early this month I quickly discovered that none of the local stores carried it. My order from Amazon finally arrived yesterday. So, here is my review in two sections:

The Music
Perhaps it is because I am used to hearing rough cut versions of songs like Mary Agnosia on Purevolume and MySpace, but the album as a whole strikes me as being a little to polished. I appreciate the rawness and emotion of the songs, but I feel like some of this may have been lost in the album. The fact that Aaron Marsh produced the album is clear throughout. In most cases this is a good thing, especially if you are a fan of Copeland latest project You Are My Sunshine. There are a few instances, however, where the style of Marsh seems to be forced onto Anchor & Braille's music. One such case is the addition of brass in the bridge for "Sleep. When we die." It isn't bad, per say, but it seems unnecessary. In the end, however, these shortcomings are relatively minor and the album as whole shines of musical brilliance. The songs are simple yet captivating, lulling you to sleep, yet you do not want to for fear that you will miss out on the experience of simply listening.

The Lyric Booklet
When I first opened up the lyric book I was a bit confused. I wasn't sure if I was reading lyrics or not. As it turns out, not. Instead of putting the lyrics beneath each song title, Christian has chosen to include a few paragraphs which give deeper meaning to the song. In some cases he tells why he wrote the song, other times his words follow the lyrics very closely. It is amazing to see how these words can bring new depth and meaning to the songs.

In the end this is a great album. I'm sure it will be one of my favourites for many years to come. Certainly I was a little dissapointed in a few tracks and perhaps it didn't quite live up to the hype I had created for it in my own mind, but it is still an extremely enjoyable listen. Don't take my word for it, though - give it a listen yourself!

More Reviews
AbsolutePunk.net
The Album Project

Buy the album on Amazon.com

Anchor & Braille - Felt Released

Anchor & Braille's new album Felt is out today! A full review should be coming soon.

More Anchor & Braille News

From Anchor & Braille's twitter: "i want to tour with a&b now! talked to [aaron] marsh the other day, he just wants to leak the whole record! i am holding out a little longer. grrr."

Come on Stephen, just release it already. I'm so excited to hear this album. From the sounds of this update it must be getting close to completion!

Anchor & Braille Release Date?

I had all but given up on Anchor & Braille ever releasing an album, but the other day I did a google search and discovered some exciting news from their twitter page. Here is a quote of what Stephen Christian posted on December 31: "i have decided as my new years resolution that A&B will come out in 2009 year or i will give it away for free one year from today. promise."
Sounds like a good deal to me. If this pans out I will be the first in line to buy it. Please don't disappoint me Stephen.