27 Albums That Shaped the First 27 Years of My Life, #18: Anberlin - Blueprints for the Black Market

As I quickly approach my 27th birthday (an age, coincidentally, that many musicians met their own mortality), I have been thinking about the role that music has played in my life. I have not played an instrument for nearly sixteen years and have never been in a band, but I would still consider myself an audiophile. The 26000 songs on my hard drive would agree with me as well.

Because of all those things, I thought it would be as good a time as any to compile my list of the 27 albums that most shaped these first 27 years of my life. Starting Friday January 31, I will be posting one album from the list every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until we reach #1 just before my birthday.

Let me make one thing abundantly clear: I am not saying that these are the 27 greatest albums of all time. I am not so arrogant to believe that my personal opinion is the definitive voice on music. I like what I like. Hopefully you will be able to unearth some gems from my list. If not, that is alright. These songs and albums are important to me regardless of anyone’s opinions of them.

#18: Anberlin – Blueprints for the Black Market
Release Date: May 6, 2003
When I first heard the album: June 2003

Why I loved it then: In summer 2003, my friend Aldo was hyping a band named Anberlin. He said they were not only the next big thing in Christian music, but that they could be a game-changer for the industry in general. I was not particularly impressed by his hyperbole and quickly dismissed it. I listened to the album while he was giving me a ride home from church, and I still wasn’t extremely impressed. Then a funny thing happened. Anberlin played at the same concert where I saw Relient K. Stephen Christian absolutely stole the show. He had such a stage presence and they put on such an amazing show that they made Relient K an afterthought. Considering Relient K was my FAVORITE BAND IN THE WORLD~! at the time, that was no small feat. I gave the album another listen and quickly fell in love, and Anberlin became one of my favorite bands.

Why I still love it now: Other than the fact that it reminds me of old friends and the greatest summer of my life, no debut album should sound this good. These guys were great from the start, and Anberlin’s energy is hard to match. Unlike many albums from 2003-2005, this album aged gracefully. In a time period where the Nickelbacks of the world (and their many copycat bands) made it by being generic, Anberlin was not afraid to stand out. This album was, is, and always will be a standout.

Lingering Lyric: “Boys speak in rhythm, and girls just lie”
Top Tracks: Readyfuels, Foreign Language, Glass to the Arson, Cadence

Previous Entries
27. Avalon - In a Different Light
26. The Dangerous Summer - Golden Record
25. Just Surrender - If These Streets Could Talk
24. The Lumineers - The Lumineers
23. Relient K - Two Lefts Don't Make a Right... But Three Do
22. Better Luck Next Time - Third Time's a Charm
21. Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight
20. ZOEgirl - Life
19. My Chemical Romance - Welcome to the Black Parade