''Blueprints for the Black Market'' is the debut studio album by the band Anberlin. It was released on May 6, 2003, barely a year after the band formed, and was the only album that was released with guitarist Joey Bruce in the band line-up. ''Blueprints'' had two singles, "Readyfuels", for which a music video was filmed and "Change the World (Lost Ones)". Although the album has sold over 60,000 units,SputnikMusic -- Anberlin Never Take Friendship Personal
/ref> its success pales compared to Anberlin's later albums, failing to chart on the ''Billboard'' 200.

Music style

The music has been referred to as

Emo Emo is a rock music genre characterized by emotional, often confessional lyrics. It emerged as a style of and hardcore punk from the Washington D.C. hardcore punk scene, where it was known as emotional hardcore or emocore and pioneered b ...

sounding.

Critical reception

''Blueprints for the Black Market'' garnered generally positive reception from Music critics. At ''

CCM Magazine ''CCM Magazine'' is a twice-monthly online magazine focusing on contemporary Christian music, published by Salem Publishing, a division of Salem Communications. History ''CCM'' was first published in July 1978, as a printed magazine. It has bee ...

'', Brian Quincy Newcomb graded the album a B−, stating how the release "rocks assuredly, benefiting from the dynamic production of Aaron Sprinkle". Johnny Loftus rated it two stars, writing how the album "lack any definition" and this makes the release "an utterly pleasant bore." At ''

Christianity Today ''Christianity Today'' is an evangelical Christian media magazine founded in 1956 by Billy Graham. It is published by Christianity Today International based in Carol Stream, Illinois. ''The Washington Post'' calls ''Christianity Today'' "evange ...

'', Russ Breimeier rated it three stars, saying that the album "sounds absolutely terrific."

Tony Cummings Tony Cummings is the founding editor of the magazine '' Cross Rhythms''. Biography Cummings' journalistic career started in 1963. He started a black music fanzine originally called ''Soul'', then ''Soul Music Monthly'', and finally ''Shout'' ...

Cross Rhythms Cross Rhythms is a Christian media organisation based in Stoke-on-Trent, England. It operates an FM and online radio station, produces radio shows sent internationally, and its website has resources about contemporary Christian music. Hi ...

rated it a perfect ten squares, calling this "something special" that will be "A must for every rock buff." At Jesus Freak Hideout, Matt Gray rated it four-and-a-half stars, proclaiming this to be a "glorious debut". Bert Gangl of The Phantom Tollbooth rated it four stars, noting that the band "succeeds magnificently ..crafting a work of sweeping, melodic, emotional, hook-laden beauty." At Melodic, Pär Winberg rated the album three stars, remarking that it is an "Impressive debut."

Track listing

* All songs written and composed by Anberlin except where noted. # "Readyfuels" – 3:37 # "Foreign Language" – 2:49 # "Change the World (Lost Ones)" – 3:59 # "Cold War Transmissions" – 3:12 # "Glass to the Arson" – 3:29 # "The Undeveloped Story" – 3:27 # "Autobahn" – 3:25 # "We Dreamt in Heist" – 3:17 # " Love Song" (W. Bransby, S. Gallup, R. O'Donnell, R. Smith, P. Thompson, and L. Tolhurst) – 3:05 (

The Cure The Cure are an English Rock music, rock band formed in 1978 in Crawley, Crawley, West Sussex. Throughout numerous lineup changes since the band's formation, guitarist, lead vocalist, and songwriter Robert Smith (musician), Robert Smith has re ...

cover) # "Cadence" – 3:17 # "Naïve Orleans" – 4:08

Personnel

Anberlin *

Stephen Christian Stephen Christian is an American singer and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist of the alternative rock band Anberlin, as well as the vocalist of his acoustic side-project Anchor & Braille. He and his bandmates started Anberlin in 2002, ...

– lead vocals, keyboards * Joseph Milligan – lead guitar, vocals * Joey Bruce – rhythm guitar * Deon Rexroat – bass guitar * Nathan Young – drums, percussion Production *

Aaron Sprinkle Aaron Sprinkle (born March 20, 1974) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer from Seattle, Washington. Career His career in music began in high school with a group called BellBangVilla. BellBangVilla became Poor Old Lu and the ...

– production, engineering, mixing * J. R. McNeely – mixing * Troy Glessner – mastering * Michael Christian McCaddon – art direction, photography, design * David Johnson – band photography *

Brandon Ebel Brandon Ebel is the founder, president and CEO of Tooth & Nail Records. He founded the label in 1993 in California, United States. The label has since grown to include sub-labels BEC Recordings, Solid State Records and Uprok Records. Ebel has c ...

– executive producer

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Blueprints For The Black Market Anberlin albums 2003 debut albums Tooth & Nail Records albums Albums produced by Aaron Sprinkle