
Because time is a cruel beast, Never Take Friendship Personal has turned 20 years old and yet it still packs that same urgency of a band hungry for more. More exposure, more fans, and plenty more music! The record itself is as gripping as they come, especially in a scene where so many emo bands were exploding out of the gate and into the pages of magazines like Alternative Press. What set Anberlin apart from the pack was their ability to lean into the genre’s best parts: anthemic and heartfelt vocals, searing guitar parts, and well-constructed songs that made a lot of sense and still had a lasting impact on the listener.
I think the first time I heard the band name Anberlin was when I saw the young band take the stage in Baltimore, Maryland opening for Bayside. This must’ve been close to 2005, because I can vividly remember their set comprised almost entirely of material from Never Take Friendship Personal. I was instantly hooked on lead vocalist Stephen Christian’s energetic stage presence and his vocals were top-notch that evening. Later on that same weekend, I traveled to my local Best Buy to pick up a CD copy of the album, and I was immediately transported back to that fateful evening in Baltimore where I would discover one of my favorite bands of all time.
The album is filled with dynamic and heart-pounding singles, like the sonic immediacy found on “Paperthin Hymn”, the frenetic energy of “A Day Late” that demands audience participation, and the later re-recorded scene classic of “The Feel Good Drag.” The dual-guitar attack of Joseph Milligan and Nathan Straye really sears through the mix on these tracks, and their presence is felt widely on the record. Even deep cuts like “Stationary Stationery” and the starts and stops of “The Runaways” are filled with the utmost passion behind Christian’s lyrics and vocals, while the drumming of Nathan Young also stands out prominently on repeat listens in the mix by JR McNeely.
Also not lost in the shuffle is the incredible tutelage of veteran producer Aaron Sprinkle (Acceptance, New Found Glory), who is able to get the parts that Anberlin showed flashes of on Blueprints for the Black Market and persuade them to really lean into these strengths. Like many other bands developing in the emo/punk scene, the record features key collaborations from several other artists on the studio version. Ryan Clark (Demon Hunter) appears on the opening title track, while Seth Roberts (Lakes), Phil Sneed (Story of the Year), and Mike Weiss (mewithoutYou) each make memorable cameos. None of these spots seem forced. Instead, they allow the music to shine through brilliantly.
”Time & Confusion” is filled with a plethora of shout and response vocals in the chorus, while the rest of the back-half of the LP builds up the anticipation to the sprawling closing track of “Dance, Dance Christa Päffgen.” Anberlin really made their time on their sophomore record count, and even when the band did their COVID-19 livestreams, you can tell that Anberlin still truly believes in these songs.
Luckily for us, the band still feels fondly about Never Take Friendship Personal, and have made the wise decision to re-press the vinyl for its 20th anniversary via Tooth & Nail and also in their own webstore. While the re-press doesn’t include the long sought after demo of “New Fast Automatic” that was teased in a 2011 AbsolutePunk interview with Stephen Christian, it does include plenty of tracks from Lost Songs that are making their way onto the format for the very first time. The lyrics of “If this isn’t love, then this is the closest I’ve ever been” on “Audrey, Start The Revolution!” ring a little bit truer today as I gush over my adoration for Never Take Friendship Personal.