I’ve been listening to Relient K since 2001. I was a sophomore in high school, worried about geometry tests and homecoming dances. They were singing about Thundercats and Sadie Hawkins Dances. We were a perfect fit.
Thankfully, the band—and I—have matured since then. While I loved singing “Sadie Hawkins Dance” as a fifteen-year old, I have enjoyed watching the band evolve in the four studio albums—as well as EPs—Relient K has released since I began listening to The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek.
Since the Ohio-based Christian punk-group group was formed by Matt Thiessen, Matt Hoopes, and Brian Pitmann in 1998, band members have come and gone, and both their sound and lyrical content has undergone significant change.
Their most recent album, Forget and Not Slow Down, which they released under their new label, Mono Vs. Stereo, an imprint of Gotee Records, has been described as a break-up album. With lyrics like, “I met the devil and I stared her in the eyes… I took the fire escape and made it out alive” off the bonus track, “(If You Want It),” it’s hard to argue with that assessment. Clearly lead singer and songwriter Thiessen’s recent break up had a serious impact on the content of this album.
But Forget is a lot more than just a break-up album. The record is proof that Relient K is more than just a ’90s poppy punk band for church kids. The band has progressed into a dynamic rock group with witty lyrics and a complex sound that is less synthesizer and continues to show the range of influences that have been affecting Relient K’s sound since 2004’s Mmhmm, which brought banjo (played by Jon Schneck) to the band.
Forget may be a break-up album, but it’s also an album that displays a mature sound and mature songwriting about life and faith and relationships in a way that is relatable and enjoyable (and still at times displays the spunkiness that RK fans have been enjoying since the beginning). There is sadness here, for sure, but there’s also hope, as the reminiscent “I Don’t Need a Soul” proclaims: “Without you I’m still whole; you and life remain beautiful.”
Stand-out tracks: “Savannah,” “Therapy,” and “Sahara.”
RIYL: Switchfoot, Something Corporate, Jimmy Eat World
1 comment:
I didn't realize it was a "break-up album", though listening to it, that makes sense. I think "Savannah" is one of my favorite songs of the year - reminds me a bit of "Johanna" from Sweeney Todd, also a great tune.
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