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It's hard to think that it's been four years since Blindside released The Black Rose EP and six since their last full length project hit the streets. Many fans of the band thought they had broken up with no new music and a very short list of shows it would certainly seem like that is what happened. However 2011 will see the return of the Swedish Post-Hardcore Christian band with the release of With Shivering Hearts We Wait which could give us the best music Blindside has ever produced.

From the albums opener "There Must be Something in the Water" to the albums closer, the similarly named "There Must be Something in the Wind" this album is more radio friendly then previous releases but that doesn't mean that Blindside has lost its edge The opening track still features Christian Linskog raspy screams as does "Bring Out Your Dead" and "Bloodstained Hollywood Ending" While tracks like "Our Love Saves Us" will be a post-hardcore favorite from the album. "Withering" and several other tracks on the album use strings very effectively to drive the songs and add to seemingly endless depth of the tracks they grace. Listeners will also be surprised to hear a slight dance and pop influence on this album putting them in league with their Irish counterparts Anberlin.

Lyrically it seems Blindside has really stepped it up, though darkness continues to be an ongoing theme carried over from previous projects Blindside continues to show the hope we have through our savior. Despite the fact that "My Heart Escapes" and "It's All I Have" come across as skin-deep breakup and love songs there is a little bit more to these songs showing a need for God in these dark times. "Cold" deals with the pain of betrayal and the thoughts that we have to work through as Christians. The aforementioned "There Might be Something in the Wind" talks about the hope given to us for salvation by Christ's return and "Monster on the Radio" though possibly the weakest song on the album discusses our need for fame.

The punk sounding title cut "Our Love Saves Us" is just one of the many standout albums on this record. "We Won't be forsaken, cause we know what we found" sings Linkskog in response to how the world tries to tear us apart. The chorus "Our Love, Saves us, the river runs deep but our spirits go dull" talks of our human connection between friends and love ones. The Love Linksog is singing about is the love that binds us together, keeping us safe in times of disaster. Then the focus changes to our need for Christ and his return and how we are often led astray by the world causing us to stumble or hesitate.

If you are looking for an album that will challenge the thought processes and keep you entertained until the next Blindside album then look no further than With Shivering Hearts We Wait easily one of the best albums of the year.