Five Score and Seven Years Ago

Relient K moves in the direction of alternative rock

For the seven years of existence Relient K has changed pretty appreciably. Uncomplicated songs a la Blink 182 are left in the past; the music that the band is producing now is rather an alternative rock. Pop punk, of course, still carries a notable influence but if we’ll try to give an attentive look than we’ll see that Relint K became more serious and discriminating in their musical tastes. Their new album Five Score And Seven Years Ago combined the best ideas that the band has acquired on their former releases representing a peculiar musical report about the band’s activities in the form of 14 fresh songs. Relient K continued a cultivation of their brand sonic formula where light, poppy mood and deep and dark sound stand as the basic elements. Five Score And Seven Years Ago became the first Relient K’s album recorded with new band members – a bass player John Warne and guitarist Jon Schneck. As a result a new material sounds enriched with more complex tunes and arrangements. Dense guitars, intensive drumming and rich backing vocals parties comprised of five voices – each member of Relient K is engaged in singing. Another notable innovation is piano, which is used here pretty often making general sounding even deeper.

The album features both, fast punk hits and songs with philosophic masage

The first track may throw old Relient K’s fans into confusion. Pleading The Fifth (A Cappella) is a short and gentle intro driven by vocals only. It sounds really unlike any other Relient K’s song but it is the best track to hear the band’s vocal potential. A following track Come Right Out And Say It – is a full-fledged mid tempo punk song with an intriguing piano intro, there’s nothing really special about it, but it goes sufficiently pleasant. Then the album’s hit I Need You comes. And this is really something. The song sounds heavier than one could expect it from Relient K. A solid guitar distortion and lively drum strikes throughout the entire track plus a great chorus with powerful choral singing. Forgiven became another super hit of. It is much more calm but it doesn’t reduce the song’s catchiness. It features a lot of guitars and vocals again but the song’s melodic and minor piano chords add some sad notes into it. In fact, Relient K began to resort to serious subjects in their lyrics, humor of course dominates, but such songs as Deathbed carry a philosophical massage. This is a long and sad song about a dying man, who starts to realize what faith really means for him.

Relient K – a band that sings about God

Relient K always considered a Christian rock band but the fact that they play pop punk was constantly causing disputes about it. Of course not all Relient K’s songs are dedicated to the theme of religion, but still Matt Theissen mentions God in a majority of them. He prefers to use an artistic approach and tries to avoid a direct usage of Jesus Christ’s name frequently replacing it with simple personal pronouns like “you” or “he”. And though Five Score And Seven Years Ago is a musical step forward for this band the religious component of Relient K remains unfailing. They concern subjects like becoming a better person as often as before. Overall Five Score And Seven Years Ago is a worthy continuation of their former release MMHMM – an album that drove them into mainstream. The album still has a flavor of their early works but many new godsends that can be heard here bring Relient K on a new level. The album may turn out to be an unexpected surprise for those who never heard the band and the best Relient K’s album for old fans.