The Anselm's new live album, September Sun, is both effortlessly simple and breathtakingly profound. As an album, it stands as a beautiful and honest collection of songs; each line carefully chosen; each sound intricately placed. Throughout, old tracks are played with a fresh impetus and with a renewed sense of purpose, whilst new songs Bruised, September Sun and Come Away suggest how they have grown in their ability to innovate and to inspire. In truth, the recording is somewhat raw and unpolished, which some listeners may find frustrating. Such is the nature of any live set however, and the occasional mistake and rare missed note do not take away from the richness of these songs. Indeed, many will find the 'nakedness' of the set refreshing, with the studio comforts stripped away.
The opener, Son of Man, has always had the power to move the heart. With a fresh drumbeat, it arrives with even more of an entrance, and resides with even more of a presence. The lyrics are set gently within a song that speaks of the One who stands for us in glory; a theme that few artists could explore so skilfully. In turn, whilst there is an undoubted sensitivity to much of what the Anselm write, they also run with ideas about friendship and laughter (see September Sun and Heaven's Coming). A tight group of life-long friends, when the Anselm sing about "the One who holds us together", and when they remember days "sleeping under canvas having laughs", we get a sense of the joy and exuberance that they have known in their experience as friends together with God.
On a technical note, the drumming of Lewis Gault merits a mention. With every listen one is aware of the striking brilliance of the drumming throughout the set. Whether providing a subtle counterpoint thoughtfulness in Sorrow for Sin (present on old Anselm demos and re-worked here to great effect), or whether striking life into Heaven's Coming, the drums sit neatly against breaking vocals and resonating ambient sounds.
After numerous listens, the hardest part in reviewing this album still remains the search for words to best describe the sounds of Righteous for the Unrighteous and new song Bruised. The former describes the unique love of God in such a way that while hairs on the neck stand tall, the worshipper is compelled to fall and to bow. Bruised, meanwhile, juxtaposes the vulnerability in the heart of mankind, with the gentleness in the heart of the Lord Jesus. From the bruised reed that is us, to the bruised Man that is Him, the song carries all of the beauty that such a subject demands. The Psalmist spoke of giving to God the words of his heart, and in those two songs, we feel that the Anselm have done just that.
The closing track, I don't know why, is a crowd-favourite, which is hardly surprising, given a listen. It perhaps best epitomises how simple words and simple emotions can, in reality, carry the deepest of feelings and expressions. That, for me, is what the Anselm is all about.
review: D. Mitchell.