Disco de Relient K: “Five Score And Seven Years Ago [Limited]”

I admit I was a little doubtful they were going to make an album as good as mmhmm, and also this was my most expected album of the year. so expectations were pretty high, but they've vanished any of my doubts since I can say this is they're best album yet.

Songs like "The Best thing", "Come Right Out and Say It", "Forgiven" and "Bite My Tongue" will stick to your head for a long time. the biggest surprise for me was "Deathbed". I've always liked punk-rock-short-songs and I was far from imagining I was going to enjoy an 11-minutes song this much.

The only part that felt a little out of place was "I Need You" because they sound too much like Anberlin (at least to me). But it is a great song nonetheless.

Buy this album and enjoy an excellent band at their best. I did.

I am not that huge a fan of Relient K. I really liked many of the songs on MMHMM. What I like about them is their ability to transition the sound many times within 1 song with key changes and change of tempo, etc. THIS album however blew me away. This was one of the first albums ever that I listened to it the whole way through without thinking, "when will this song be done" or even skipping a song halfway through. The opener is a great one. A random A Cappella doo-wop that just plain sounds cool and is not what I expected for a starter. Songs like The Best Thing, Must Have Done Something Right, Faking My Own Suicide have a classic Relient K sound with a more "mature/modern" quality. So they gave us great love songs. They also gave us a song like Forgiven saying that we have all made mistakes, but there is forgiveness. Lastly, the "ear" opener on the whole album was Deathbed. Simply INCREDIBLE. This is Matt Thiessen's song writing ability at its best. He arranged for a host of instruments, change in tempo many times, and allowed Switchfoot's Jon Foreman to sing as a guest. Great song and overall great album. I was very impressed.

It was love at first song for me, when I heard "Getting in to You" on the radio for the first time.

I like it. It has it's own flavor, as do all of their cds. It seems like they change their style a little bit with every album. My favorites have stars next to them.

"Forgiven" and "Devastation and Reform" have a distinctive flair that I don't know how to describe (but that I really like), and "Faking My Own Suicide and "Deathbed" are kind of folky.

1 "Pleading The Fifth" - LOL, they've brought back a little of their random accapella stuff (think "Anatomy").

2 "Come Right Out And Say It" struck a familiar chord with me. "Even if words are probably going to hurt, I'd rather have the truth than something insincere... Come right out and say what it is you're thinking even though I'm thinking it's not what I want to hear."

3 "I Need You" - The lyrics are great! I can definitely relate. Makes me think of some of the Psalms.

4 "The Best Thing" - Thiessen (lead singer and writer of all their songs) seems to have found the love of his life, which makes him a little sappier than usual. It's about time, the rest of them are all married, I think. " ...when I looked into your eyes and you dared to stare right back. You should've said 'Nice to meet you, I'm your other half.'"

*5 I immediately liked "Forgiven" which is quite distinctive from Relient K's usual style, but very good. "And you can't see past the blood on my hands to see that you've been aptly damned to fail and fail again. 'Cause we're all guilty of the same things. We think the thoughts whether or not we see them through."

*6 "Must Have Done Something Right" is typical Thiessen. I love his way with words. It's quirky and sappy - in a good way. "We should get jerseys, 'cause we make a good team. But yours would look better than mine, because you're out of my league." Very happy song.

7 "Give Until There's Nothing Left To Give" - "No one told me the right way to go about this. So I'll figure it out for myself... No one told me how bad I need you. But I somehow arrived at that conclusion all by myself. And I want all you have to offer. So I'll offer myself..." Yep, Relient K always has something to speak for me.

*8 "Devastation and Reform" - Again, a new style, but I like it. Nice guitar lick! Nice lyrics!

9 "I'm Taking You With Me" - Another mushy song... Groan..."If home is where my heart is, then home is where you are. But it's getting oh so hard to spend these days without my heart" Still nice.

*10 "Faking My Own Suicide" made me laugh... and think about high school. "I'm faking my own suicide... I wish you thought I was dead. So rather than me, you'll be depressed instead. And before arriving at my grave, you'd come to the conclusion you'd loved me all your days... You'll say aloud that you would've been my wife. And right about that time is when I'd come back to life." It's funny and it sounds almost like Nickel Creek - folk songy. Very different style.

11 "Crayons Can Melt On Us For All I Care" - hahhahahaha! No comment.

12. "Bite My Tongue" - Good song. About pride and screwing up and hurting other people "...the power of your words can repair all that I've destroyed... so I'll swallow up my pride and give you control.."

13. "Up and Up" - My theme song right now. "Yesterday was not quite what it could've been, as were most of the days before. But I swear, today with every breath I'm breathing in, I'll be trying to make it so much more...Yeah, there's nothing left to prove, 'cause I'm just trying to be a better version of me, for you... For you never cease to supply me with what I need for a good life. So when I'm down I'll hold my head up high. 'Cause you're the reason why..."

14. Deathbed - an 11 minute epic song about a dying cancer patient. I don't know what I think about this song yet. Not actually sure I like it. Apparently, though, Matt can play Horn, Trombone, Euphonium, Trumpet, Guitar, Piano, Organ, Percussion, and Penny Whistle. That is kind of amusing.

Relient K has been very consistent over the years, and remarkably, they have again raised the bar. This collection of songs rocks, in its entirety. Except for one 15-second interlude, every song is iPod-worthy. The album's opening track "Plead the Fifth" finds the guys skillfully harmonizing a cappella, Beach Boys style. Too bad it's only a minute and thirteen seconds long as it leaves the listener wanting more. The lead single, "Must Have Done Something Right" features a killer hook. Other strong tracks are "Forgiven" and "The Best Thing." The band finishes the album with a dramatic, eleven-minute song called "Deathbed", which tells the story of a man dying of lung cancer who reflects on his life and poor decisions, but recounts the night when he put his faith in Christ. And to top it off, Switchfoot's Jon Foreman sings the final verse. Enough said.

I didn't really know what to expect with Relient K's latest effort Five Score and Seven Years Ago. Their last album Mmhmm wasn't as cheese filled as their previous albums but I still wasn't a fan. When I put the newest album in and heard the opening track "Plead The Fifth", I knew this was going to be different, and much more mature. The introduction reminds me of a song the Beach Boys would do, with great harmonies overlaying Thiessen's incredible vocals. The album takes off from there with the hard hitting rock song "Come Right Out and Say It". I like the direction that Relient K has gone in with this new album. Instead of their usual punk driven tunes, they went for a more rock driven and piano filled sound. Howard Benson once again produces a catchy in your face rock album with leading drum beats that will showcase this band's musicianship. The songs "Devastation and Reform" and "Bite My Tongue" best showcase the type of hard hitting rock songs that Benson is capable of producing. This album shows depth both musically, and lyrically. The album does still include a few of their typical syrupy songs such as the first single "Must Have Done Something Right" with cheesy lyrics, but for the majority of the album you are going to hear serious lyrics behind amazing instrumental melodies. Relient K hasn't escaped from their Christian roots, however the spiritual messages in the album are much more discreet than in their previous efforts and show up only as undertones in the lyrics.

Thiessen also implements his amazing piano abilities much more on this album than he has in their past efforts. It works brilliantly on most of the songs. One of the standout tracks for me is "Forgiven" which could be one of the best crossover songs I've heard from a Christian band. I could see this song on both secular and Christian radio.

Other tracks that I found very enjoyable were "The Best Thing", "Give", and "I'm Taking You With Me". Relient K is a band that likes to have fun, and the very unnecessary "Crayons Can Melt on Us for All I Care" displays the fun side of the band.

The highlight of this album for me was the epic finale Deathbed. Matt Thiessen begins this ballad on the piano, but the song soon takes an entertaining turn as Thiessen tells the story of a man that is dying from cancer. This song brings the band back to their spiritual roots, with John Foreman of Switchfoot singing as the voice of Jesus at the conclusion of the song.

"Five Score and Seven Years Ago" is definitely the compilation that I was waiting for from Relient K, and it is sure to skyrocket Relient K into greater success.