Reviewed by Graeme Crawford

When I first heard the insistent and spiky, yet melodic and harmonious, "Ready Fuels" by Anberlin I knew I had stumbled upon a rather special band. To this day I still don't understand what the song is about, but I don't care. Like many great bands, the lyrics conjure up different images and feelings each time you listen. Always passionate and emotional, loud and fun, Anberlin are one of these bands that I can listen to anytime and always get a lift from. As for this compilation, this is a celebration of the time spent on Seattle's Tooth & Nail Records, drawing as it does four tracks from each of the three "proper" albums and just one ("Haunting") from the disjointed and underwhelming 'Lost Songs' set. I am glad to see that it has been arranged like a regular album with a thought-out running order as opposed to a chronological track listing like many bands do. Jam-packed with the cream of an abundant crop, I am hard pushed to find fault with the track listing. Personal favourites include "A Whisper & A Clamor", "Paperthin Hymn", "Glass To The Arson", and "Godspeed". The only downside is that it doesn't offer anything to those who already have the albums, so a point off for that I'm afraid. However, at the bargain price of £7.99 from this very website, I would strongly recommend that every rock aficionado who does not already own the albums buy this soon.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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