Never Take Friendship Personal
Never Take Friendship Personal brings together two sides of Anberlin that make each other stronger. The guitars hit with a sharp physical force, while Stephen Christian sings melodies large enough to rise above them. His voice has a clear, emotional quality that keeps the music from feeling purely aggressive. The album's best songs make that contrast sound effortless.
“Paperthin Hymn” is the most complete example. Its melody remains graceful even as the band pushes hard underneath it, and the chorus has a natural lift rather than an exaggerated change in size. The title track is rougher and more urgent. Christian's harsher moments make sense because the playing gives them a firm place to land.
“The Feel Good Drag” is another highlight, with a strong opening figure and a vocal performance that moves convincingly toward the scream in its bridge. The guitar solo adds an expressive turn without stopping the momentum. “Stationary Stationery” offers a more compact pop pleasure, showing how well the band can build a song around a direct melodic idea. These performances have an energy that survives the careful production around them.
The quieter “Symphony of Blasé” gives Christian more exposed space and brings useful melancholy into the sequence. Some of the middle material is less distinctive, and the short instrumental before the closer feels more like a pause than a necessary piece. The album is strongest when a song has a clear emotional destination rather than simply maintaining the general rush.
“Dance, Dance Christa Paffgen” supplies a substantial ending. The extended arrangement lets the bass, drums and guitars develop together, and its darker atmosphere rewards the extra time. Never Take Friendship Personal has enough immediate hooks to work on a quick listen and enough variation to make the full sequence worthwhile. Its lasting appeal lies in the meeting of muscular playing and a voice willing to sound open inside it.
