“Other Side” by Anberlin, Saturday, May 1, 2021

 

In early 2012 when Anberlin announced that they would be returning with an album produced by Aaron Sprinkle, longtime fans knew that they were in for a good album. While their prior major label releases had stretched the band and had proven how versatile their sound was, the band had not produced an album that matched the lyrical and musical depth of their fan favorite, Cities. 2012's Vital took Anberlin to both familiar territory and reinvented their sound. Vital is a heavier album than their previous two. But, up to this point, the band did very little with electronic music. Vital, however, opened to the electro-heavy "Self-Starter," complete with an autotune chorus, somewhat reminiscent of Avenged Sevenfold's "Lost." In fact, many of the the tracks incorporated electronic elements. The band admits to consuming a lot of M83 at that time. Perhaps the best example of the band's marriage to electronics while keeping full guitars engaged is "Other Side," a metaphysical song, wondering about the deeper understanding that will come on the other side of life.

I CAN FINALLY FORGET A PAST YOU SAY YOU NEVER KNEW. Critics and fans both loved Vital. However, the album failed to grab new fans because the record label, Universal Republic, had decided to stop promoting rock music. The lead single "Someone Anyone" failed to crack the Alternative charts, the first time that Anberlin's lead single from a record since they had signed to a label had done that. The band had truly put their hearts and souls into the record. Vital was supposed to be a celebration of youth and energy. The band's new electronic sound aimed to be marketable in a changing music environment. But just as the band had felt they had hit the glass ceiling at Tooth & Nail, they found that the big tours with The Smashing Pumpkins, Thirty Seconds to Mars, and Linkin Park were behind them. And while Vital may have been one of their best albums, "Feel Good Drag" would be the band's one hit wonder as far as radio was concerned. 

THERE'S A TIME AND PLACE/ AN UNKNOWN REGION OF SPACE. Vital was released in my second month living in Korea. While I loved the musicality on the record, I realized that, like its predecessor, Vital's lyrics were a little weak at times. "Other Side" works lyrically because the music is so strong. Like Adele's "Hello," yesterday, "Other Side" reminds me about the complications of living on the other side of the world. I reminds of me of the time and distance between the two groups of people I love.  In 2012, it gave me comfort that what I was doing was meaningful. In 2021 it just makes me want to spend as much time (virtually or in person) with the ones I love. 




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