I bought this CD last month after listening to the song samples, and decided I liked them. The song samples are NOTHING compared to the CD.
Kick-off- 4.5 stars - "Here's the kickoff/hope you're not sick of/Relient K/and all the songs we play." Interesting song, nice drums at the start.
Pressing on- 5 stars - "I think we're going somewhere/we're onto something good here/there's only one thing left to do..." AWESOME guitar at the start of this song, I could listen to it all day. Mostly about perseverance. Fast song.
Sadie Hawkins Dance- 5 stars - "Sittin' in the back of my next class nappin'/got up, gave a speech then bowed to the clapping..." A more 'secular' song, still great though. Almost has a click-click-click feel to it on the chorus. It changes speeds a LOT, something I loved.
Down in Flames- 4.8 stars - "Christians/we're all afraid of fire/ we prefer to suck on pacifiers..." Great song, definitely Christian. It criticizes the Christian society for fighting amongst ourselves, while we "eat our own/the bones and all" Another fast song. The chorus is a little bit repetitive, however.
Maybe it's Maybeline- 4 stars - "People make mistakes/find that everything breaks/and it always is the same/gotta find someone to blame..." Another good song, medium speed, about how it's never OUR fault, we're always blaming someone else. Doesn't ALWAYS seem to make sense, though. "Maybe it's maybeline"? (Maybeline=may-bee-leen)
Breakdown- 4.5 stars - "Over lousy excuse for a car/one mile to go but I can't push that far/ I think I've had enough..." Another song about how life seems so unfair, another really good song. The meat of the cd is early on and towards the middle, really.
Those Words Are Not Enough- 4.3 stars - "Understand/it's so hard to tell you/cause you already know..." Another pretty good song, I like it, but it seems a little.. off beat at times.
For The Moments I Feel Faint- 5 stars - "Never underestimate my Jesus/you're telling me that there's no hope, I'm telling you you're wrong..." The slowest song on the CD, and one of the best. It has a more acoustic sound to it, no heavy fast rock here.
Lion Wilson- 4.5 stars - I have NO idea what's with this song, no words, but it's nice still!
I'm Lion-O- 5 stars - "I am the greatest thundercat of them all/I'm Lion-O!" I love this song! It doesn't always make sense, but it's nice and fast, and the guitar riffs are good. Hope you like Thundercats.
What Have You Been Doing Lately- 4.8 stars - "Pardon me while I throw up/I guess some people never grow up..." A song about how people fall away from Christ, uses some really nice combinations for a great sound. Didn't always sound consistent, somehow.
May The Horse Be With You- 4.3 stars - "We're gonna graze all of our days/until they take us away and turn us into glue/Like Mr Ed always said..." lol! Hilarious song, from the point of view of a horse. The chorus is really repetitive, unfortunately, other than that I love it!
My Way Or The Highway...- 5 stars - "By the wayside we fell/He said it's My way or the highway to hell/it's your decision, choose it well..." Choose Christ's way or the highway to hell, no other options. Another AWESOME song, my favorite on the track.
Breakfast at Timpani's- 3.5 stars - "I just wanted to thank you for this amazing breakfast..." Whaaa? This was a weird thing. No music. Obviously a parody of "Breakfast at Tiffany's", but...
The Rest Is Up To You- 3 stars - I must be frank, this wasn't a great song, IMO. It just seemed off kilter.
Failure To Excommunicate- 5 stars - "That coffin created for creative thought/it's disgusting/his priorities..." Another favorite of mine. A really darkish song, mainly about how society pushes out 'different' people.
Less Is More- 4.5 stars - "Jesus I pray/take all my mistakes/throw them away/destroy them for my sake..." Another slow song for the ending, sounds really nice. Listen for the bonus way later!
Overall- 4.9 stars - AWESOME CD. I LOVE IT. I suggest you go get it today, and especially their new one when it comes out real soon.
Relient K did an awesome job with this CD, and they really get the message across about the Lord. Each song has it's own unique lyrics, and behind those lyrics, a deeper meaning about life. From the fun-loving lyrics of the "Sadie Hawkins Dance," to the meaningful and powerful lyrics of "Failure to Excommunicate," Relient K does a great job at explaining the power of the Lord, in only a way that kids could understand. Although, Relient K may be looked at as just another "pop punk" band, such as New Found Glory and Blink 182, they are not. The songs that they sing have a much deeper meaning about life, and cannot be compared to any other "pop punk" band's lyrics. Relient K sings songs that kids can relate to, not only with their friends and family, but also with their relationship with the Lord. For kids that may not enjoy Christian music, but like listening to punk, this is the perfect CD to better explain Christianity and help them find their way to the Lord. Relient K is a great Christian band, and although they may not be your ordinary "pop punk" band, they are awesome and deserve five stars.
I really, really like this CD. I've listened to this whole CD around 10 times already and I just started listening to it last week! I like that the lyrics are still clear, even though most of the songs are punk. It's also nice to find punk songs for Christians. Personally, the best songs are "Those Words Are Not Enough," "Sadie Hawkins Dance," "Down in Flames," "May the Horse Be With You," and actually... ALL of them!!! It's hard to find CDs these days that you actually listen to it from cover to cover. I guess this is one of them!
Not to knock their debut, but The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek makes their first album look like child's play. The overall musicality and songwriting improved TREMENDOUSLY, and the slight chessiness present in some tracks from the debut is basically gone. "Sadie Hawkins Dance" has become a RK classic, and is just a fun song. In fact, there is an abundance of fun songs on this CD! :) Additionally, there are plenty of serious, profound songs on Anatomy. "For the Moments I Feel Faint" is a gorgeous statement of faith that tells you to "never underestimate my Jesus." An essential message to hear when going through a trying time. Survival and overcoming obstacles is certainly a theme present in this album; see "Pressing On" and "Breakdown" for examples. The boys also make social commentary in songs like "Down in Flames" and "Maybe It's Maybelline." Overall, the songs complement each other well to make one great CD.
I can always rely on Relient K to get my blood pumpin'! This CD can change a bad day into a day where you just want to jump, sing, and smile. The tracks on this CD include everything from goofy (May the Horse be with you) to serious (Less is More) to simply fun (Sadie Hawkins Dance). My brother, my sister, and I can spout out the lyrics to any given song. If you want a CD that is fun, worshipful, and genuine--you've found it. I would like to hear more serious songs from this group. I love "For the Moments I Feel Faint" and "Less is More." I'm looking forward to more songs in the future! *I'd recomend this CD to Cadet and Superchick fans, or to anyone who likes the garage band style.*
