The disc starts easily enough, with (Debut) basically becoming a 90 second pre-cursor to the rest of the disc, with some great rock stylings hitting your eardrums right from the start. The track makes for a great introduction not only to the disc, but to the next track and lead single from the project, Godspeed. Much like Never Take Friendship Personal and Readyfuels before it, Godspeed gives the disc a driving opening track that sets an unrelenting pace, with only brief moments to catch your breath before diving right back in. A Whisper & A Clamor follows a similar mantra, with the music driving the track along.
One of the most notable changes on this disc is a more synthesized sound. It is slightly noticable on Adelaide, and much closer to the forefront of the sound on tracks like There Is No Mathematics To Love And Loss and Reclusion. However, where this could become a hindrance for some artists, this actually becomes a welcome addition to an already solid mixing of music. It certainly doesn't hurt that the band continues to produce great lyrics to go along with these musical stylings.
However, some of the band's top tracks continue to be the toned down tracks. They take their rock sounds down a bit on tracks like Dismantle.Repair. and (*Fin), while The Unwinding Cable Car takes a stripped-down, acoustic approach to things and actually becomes a track that is definitely one of the disc's top offerings. And the nearly nine minutes worth of (*Fin) fly by because the track is so well done. It is tracks like this that make people wonder why there's artists out there who can't do a track that's longer than four minutes.
Overall, Cities continues to show Anberlin's growth as a band. With a great mix of edgy rock stylings and solid lyrics and vocals, the band definitely has the potential to become another one of Tooth & Nail's mainstream success stories. Whether they do or not remains to be seen, but there is no doubt that the band will continue to produce great music in the upcoming years.