I love Relient K for two big reasons. First, their lyrics speak to me like few other bands. They always reveal some deep truth that I’ve never heard verbalized before or some feeling I’ve had myself. Second, they are the greatest band in the world to run to because almost all their songs are very uptempo and perfect to keep your sneakers moving forward.
This is Relient K’s 5th full length album in seven years (hence the name) and it is a good one. You get your money’s worth with 14 tracks (only 2 real throwaways) at over 50 minutes. The band continues its winning emo/pop-punk sound and many of the songs sound similar to All-American Rejects or Bowling For Soup
1. Plead the Fifth (A Cappella)
Not crazy about this one. I usually skip it. Musically it was okay but I didn’t really get the lyrics.
“That night, at the theater An impersonator died.
Mr. Booth was tried, I just kept the truth inside.”
Huh???
2. Come Right Out And Say It
This is a song about arguments and fighting fair. Singer Matt Thiessen encourages saying what you really feel rather than trying to make peace by hiding it.
“Why don’t you come right out and say it
Even if the words are probably gonna hurt
I’d rather have the truth than something insincere
Why don’t you come right out and say it what it is your thinking
Though i’m thinking it’s not what i wanna hear”
This is a good up-tempo song and is already on my mp3 player to run to.
3. I Need You
Relient K’s specialty is personal introspective songs that get to the heart of being a Christian and our relationship with God. This song is about the void in our life that only God can fill.
“The voice of who I used to be
Screaming out “someone, someone please
Please shine a light into the black
Wade through the depths and bring me back”
Another up-tempo song. Good for running.
4. The Best Thing
This is another thing that the band is good at. Songs that at first glance seem like love songs, but on a closer look some of the lyrics illustrate the relationship between God and his child or Jesus and the Christian.
“All my life I’ve been searching for you
How did I survive In this world before you
Cause I don’t want to live
Another day without you now”
5. Forgiven
A song about sin and forgiveness. (Duh!) How often do we see our own sins as less significant than those of others. Or perhaps we thing others can receive grace but the things we’ve done can’t be forgiven. Both are faulty positions. This song illustrates the truth that we’ve all sinned and we all deserve punishment, but that we all can forgive and be forgiven.
“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
And I know that I have been forgiven
And I just hope you can forgive me too “
6. Must Have Done Something Right
This song reminds me of how I feel about my wife. Another love song with “either/or” meanings. I love the opening line ”We should get jerseys ‘cause we make a good team. But yours would look better than mine, ‘cause you’re out of my league“ This was the first video from the album. It centers around Matt trying to get his girlfriend’s soccer ball back from a variety of people.
“If anyone can make me a better person you could …
I came along one day and you rearranged my life
All I got to say is I must have done something right“
7. Give
A song about learning how much we owe to Christ and learning that we need to give back everything we have to him. A slower song, but pretty. I’m not sure what they used to sound like chimes in the chorus but I like it.
“Sometimes it seems like all I ever do
Is ask for things until I ask too much o f you
But that’s not the way I wanna live
I need to change Yeah something’s gotta give”
8. Devastation and Reform
About the horrible messes we get ourselves into and that God is our only way out of them.
“Thank you, God for giving me the insight
So I might make these wrongs right
If and when there ever is a next time
Cause failure is a blessing in disguise”
One of the hardest driving, most intense songs on the CD.
9. I’m Taking You With Me
Another one of “those” songs. Is it about a girl or is it about Jesus? I guess it depends on the listener and what they want or need it to be.
“Cause every second that goes by
I feel is just a waste of time If I’m not with you
If home is where the heart is
Then my home is where you are”
10. Faking My Own Suicide
The slowest song on the CD (It’s country, for Pete’s sake!) and my least favorite lyrically. I don’t think it has any place on the album. It’s about a guy who fakes his own suicide to make a girl realize she should love him. Not a great sentiment in my opinion. This song was originally done by vocalist Matt Thiessen’s side project.
“I’m faking my own suicide
Because I know you love me
You just haven’t realized”
11. Crayons Can Melt On Us For All I Care
Pointless. A waste of 10 seconds, literally.
“I just wasted 10 seconds of your life”
12. Bite My Tongue
If “Come Right Out And Say It” is about not saying enough this one’s about saying too much. Makes the point that Jesus can repair and restore the things that we damage with our tongue.
“Sometimes I say things that I wish I could take back
Then the smartest thing to say is to tell myself
To keep quiet”
13. Up and Up
In concert Relient K covers some songs from the classic ‘80’s movie “Top Gun.” This song starts out sounding a lot like Harold Faltermeyer’s “Top Gun Anthem” (You remember at the beginning when the planes are getting ready to take off from the carrier’s flight deck? Lots of steam and slow-motion?) This song echoes Paul, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize…”
“But I’m finally catching on to it Yeah the past is just a conduit
And the light there at the end is where I’ll be”
14. Deathbed
The band’s longest song ever at over 11 minutes tells the life story of a man dying of cancer from smoking for 30 years when he was younger. He wasted many years being a drinker, a smoker and a less than perfect husband. And yet he found forgiveness and hope in Jesus. Not a real fast song, but a good one. The voice of Jesus at the end is provided by Jon Foreman of the Christian band Switchfoot.
“I can hear you whisper to me
“It’s time to leave You’ll never be lonely again”
But this was my deathbed I died there alone
When I closed my eyes tonight You carried me home”
Great review! I suppose I’ll have to buy the cd.