Think about it like this. You attend Anberlin’s 2014 farewell show. After seven albums they are calling it a day. Before the band take to the stage, a young man of perhaps twenty taps you on the shoulder. ‘I’m too old for this’ he tells you despite clearly enjoying himself, perhaps believing that he should have grown out of pop-rock. The sad thing is, Anberlin are a mature-sounding pop-rock band. And you were at least a decade older than him, maybe more.
Anberlin never really disbanded. They returned with 2022’s ‘Silverline’ EP and last year’s ‘Vega’. Back so soon with new music, they seem thirsty. They have something to say. That’s exciting. So you press play on ‘Currency’ and it roars out of the gate, except, something is very off.
‘Neverafter’ sounds like Anberlin. ‘Aftermath’ does too. That textured rock sound, the layered melodies, that certain gravity. Except they also feel different, and the other songs do too. There’s an almost pop-punk lightness to them. Basically, the band has jettisoned the articulate, atmospheric songcraft for what is basically an upbeat thrill ride more comparable to their early work than anything they’ve released in the last twenty years. The key reason is the vocals. And that’s when it clicks. They have changed their singer and it totally redefines their sound.
You probably know this already. It’s not exactly a secret. After 2024’s ‘Vega’, the band’s original vocalist Stephen Christian stepped back. Two songs on that record feature Memphis May Fire vocalist Matty Mullins… and you can probably see where this is headed. Indeed, last year’s ‘Nevertake’ is essentially the band covering their own hits with him on vocals. It’s just – an odd choice and it raises numerous questions. Mullins isn’t copying. Or at least, he’s not copying Christian. The style of the melodies and the tone of his voice make the record sound pop-punk without really trying. It’s like he’s doing an impression of a completely different pop-punk singer. Not only is it totally different to his work with Memphis May Fire, it’s a massive contrast to Anberlin’s previous work.
Although Mullins is consistently good, particularly on the rapid-fire delivery of ‘Highstakes’ and the layered chorus of ‘Medicate’, you never feel like you’re peering through a window into his soul. He’s not a poet or a fan of wordplay and his lyrics feel more like stock emotional phrases that fit with the music. There’s nothing wrong with this approach; it works, and the songs are all fine, but they lack the same haunting, textured and mature tone you find on the band’s older records. Basically, Christian sang like a lover, Mullins sings like a boyfriend. Notably his style works less well on ‘Trenches’ where the stripped back sound gives him nowhere to hide, leaving it feeling thin, or on ‘Ghost’ where he goes full emo yelling ‘I hate myself’. The point is that he isn’t quite operating on the same level as the music and that’s what the record’s slightly weird vibe is. It’s the difference between a Marvel film and a Scorsese.
So, we need to ask, why? Is this who the band are? What is this record doing? Why were they so keen to release it? The reason is in the title. ‘Currency’. Not in terms of money, but it feels like now. The music crackles with excitement because there is a thrill running through the record that has been missing from their recent work. The songs here are more straightforward than most of their output too. It’s also heavier, but it’s presented in a way designed to keep your pulse racing. Indeed, heavier tracks like ‘Relapse’ and ‘Medicate’ feature the wicked riffs that the band hasn’t explored for a long time. The sound is like ideas that have been bottled up being released. Notably on ‘Gravity’, there’s an insane guitar solo that leads directly into a massive breakdown. It’s absolutely inspired and is a highlight of the whole record. It’s not all one style though and they explore synth-like pulsing on ‘Relapse’ to give it extra depth. There’s also metal-adjacent noisiness to ‘Lies’ where the drums roll and snap angrily. Mostly though it’s about momentum. ‘Displace’ and ‘Ghost’ have a real pop-punk flavour that is, for want of a better word, fun.
As you might have gathered, the problem here is comparison. ‘Currency’ is a solid pop punk record, it’s an exciting pop punk record, but as an Anberlin record it’s only fine. It’s is exactly what the youth was talking about in this review’s intro; they’re revisiting a sound you thought they had grown out of.
Anberlin flip your expectations on ‘Currency’. It’s a fresh and fiery record from a band who have always been deep and thoughtful. Not so much a sovereign, it’s a chocolate coin.
IAN KENWORTHY