Anberlin and Edge of Tomorrow

Today I have some music for you by the band that shaped a lot of my music tastes and love for music as a whole. Anberlin is still one of my all time favorite bands. After all the years they spent making music, Anberlin did sadly did come to an end. But, their music still strikes a chord within my heart and soul in a way that I can never forget. This song is one of the best songs from their studio album Vital. This is a song that was musically written to be energetic but moving. Anberlin is one of the few bands that could ever pull this off. This song is rooted in energetic flows and soaring vocals, something Stephen Christian is able to pull of flawlessly. Stephen Christian is actually one of my all time favorite vocalists because of his ability to be gritty and soft and powerful and moving and vulnerable all at the same time. His voice is simply beautiful and it echoes so much sentiment and emotion. The vocal range is just phenomenal and the different styles he can perform make him one of the most talented and spectacular vocalists I have ever heard. Stephen Christian easily sails into his falsetto and plunges into a deeper pitch. He also has a very smooth voice, and when holding long notes, maintains the pitch without wavering or shaking. This song as a whole reflects so much sentiment and I love the way the instrumental background has that more chaotic sound to it. When we have something soothing like Stephen Christian's vocals against a more chaotic background, the juxtaposition really starts to take hold in our minds. We get to hear the what the lyrics are describing, and that musicality is such a rare and wonderful thing. The song opens up with a slightly haunting aura to it, with a simple piano that that has been muffled a bit to sound like a film reel from the 1930s. That more haunting aspect of the song is what leads us into something that is more concrete and dark. I will say, this is a bit of a darker sounding song. It is one that asks and pleads for answers, and because of that there is a sense of being lost. The chorus of this song is where we get something that is more desperate and almost hopeful. Stephen Christian really shows the vulnerability in his voice at this point. This is the point where he is questioning and wanting, the part where is in most need. The way the chorus is composed is also a melancholy but beautiful. It draws you in so close and makes you listen to what he is asking. The harmonies that we hear at these points in the song are perfectly layered as well. And this is also where we get to hear how Stephen Christian seamlessly soars into the falsetto and comes back down to implore and scream for answers. I love this song is one that is more like a whirlwind of emotions. It isn't a mix of emotions or even an emotional journey. It is a chaotic tornado and hurricane of feelings that are not all positive. And we really get to feel that whirlwind with the way the music is performed. The guitar work is very intricate and complex with melodies and harmonies that go back and forth between guitarists. We also don't really hear the thrum of the bass guitar, as if the song just barely has grounding. Kind of the way the song talks about losing control. The way that the lyrics and music reflect each other's meaning perfectly is something that I find so poetic and almost like a masterpiece. There is a single point in the song that feels like the eye of the storm, that one point where things are calm. And even though that point is caught in the middle of the song, it adds so much meaning to the song. This is the point when the whirlwind is settling as if it may be done. We may think it is done, until we get swept up again and must find our way out. My soul is able to feel that in a way a lot of other bands cannot. And because of this, Anberlin will forever be a band that has really changed me and made me feel. Today's instrumental song is from the film Edge of Tomorrow. Now I really enjoyed this film and found the concept to be really interesting. The score is also a wonderful piece of work and is very well done. Each piece in the score has a signature element that connects them together and signifies it as part of this score. But this piece in particular is a very suspenseful one. We can't help but keep anticipating what will happen next and how things will fall into place. Interestingly enough, we also get to hear the way this particular piece tells a story through the changes in musicality. As the song progresses we are introduced to different emotions and moments that are clearly significant, and I think that is pretty cool. I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!