|
| |
|
|
|
Review Summary: Haters of Relient K's older stuff will be pleasantly surprised. When I was 12, I loved Relient K for their upbeat, poppy songs. I couldn't get enough of them and I couldn't stop listening to them. Me now being older and more aware of the difference between good and bad lyrics. The lyrics that I once thought were the stories of my life, now make me cringe and I'm not quite as much of a fan of their older stuff any more, though I do still like Who I am Hates Who I've Been. When I made the decision to give this album a chance, I wasn't sure what to expect. Would they stick to their older, more poppy stuff? Or would they grow up?
The main reason that I believed I would get the latter is because of the story behind the album. The lyrics of the album are strongly influenced by the breaking up of Matt Thiessen and his fiancée. He also wrote the lyrics in a secluded location in Tenessee. Because he wrote his music alone in a secluded location, it gave me the feeling that it was going to be a personal album. When I popped the cd into my cd player, i figured out i was right, but at the same time i was still pleasantly surprised.
From the first note of the first track of the album, Forget and Not Slow Down, you realize that this is not your typical Relient K album. Not only do the lyrics sound mature, but the music has a clean, genuine sound. It's in no way something you would expect from Relient K. The second track, I Don't Need a Soul. is in my opinion one of best of the album. Its chorus is incredibly catchy with lyrics like "I don't need a soul, No I don't need a soul to hold, Without you I'm still whole, You and life remain beautiful. This is also probably one of the best songs vocally and lyrically that Matt Theissen has written. The third track, Candlelight, is corny and gushy in a good way. While some of the lyrics may seem clichéd, the feeling of love and gushiness that you feel when you listen to the song is contagious. Sahara is another favorite on the album. It is also arguably one of the hardest songs Relient K has ever written. Savannah is my favorite track on the album because it is so different from anything they've done. It sounds so personal and genuine. The soft vocals during the versus and the changed rhythms make the song so very likeable and listenable. I love what Relient K did to close the album. 2 songs called This is the End and (If You Want it)
sound like they should be one song. They are, however, separated into 2 songs with the first one being much harder than the second. I believe that the reason that they did this is because during the first one, the relationship isn't over yet and it has a feeling of hope. The second song is soft and it sounds like the relationship is over and all hope is lost, but there is a small snippet of optimism at the very end.
This album impressed me in so many ways. They wrote a mature, personal album without taking the fun out of their music and with that they have taken multiple giant steps with Forget and Not Slow Down. I can't stop listening to it and I've had just as much fun listening to it now as I did when I first put the album in. My review is a little late, but if you still haven't picked this up, I highly recommend it. I also urge people who don't like their old stuff to give this album a chance. I guarantee you'll be pleasently surprised.
Recommended Tracks:
Forget and Not Slow Down
I Don't Need A Soul
Sahara
Savannah
| other reviews of this album |
Mateo Ottie CONTRIBUTOR (5)
This Is The End (If You Want It)....
Sowing STAFF (2.5)
So much potential thwarted by poor execution....
AdaManiac (4)
Matt Thiessen's pop punk juggernauts blend the best of their two previous efforts to craft...
Eko (4.5)
"You and life remain beautiful, you and life remain beautiful"...
RisingPhoenix (4)
An emotionally charged album that has Relient K raising the bar higher for themselves than...
Keira (4.5)
Relient K do the impossible. They become relevant again....
|
Album Rating: 2.0
Good review man.
Yeah, I used to be obsessed with these guys... Now, I can't stand them, I probably won't listen to this in depth, due to the massive failure of an album that I conceived Five Score and Seven Years Ago to be... But, if it's a little more mature, maybe... Problem is, now I've grown used to extremely painful and deep lyrics, so I still don't know if anything Thiessen writes will do it for me.
But, because of this review, I might listen to it again and rethink my score...
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
yes another 4.5 review!
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
this is wayyyyyyy better than five score
| | | Album Rating: 2.0
Really? Alright, I sure hope so, cuz I hated the life out of that album.
Maybe I'll listen to it again. I think I listened to a few minutes of it and decided I didn't want to hear another Five Score and gave it a two... Which is a little unfair on my part, especially since they were my favorite band when I was 13.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
this sounds nothing like five score at all. its actually pretty indie at times, you really cant call it pop punk except for like 3 songs. this is actually really creative and non-singles oriented.
| | | Album Rating: 2.0
Good, cuz I felt like these guys had sold out come Five Score.
I'll listen to this again in the morning before school.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
they totally sold out. this is them unselling out. they made a bunch of statements when this came out saying that some of their fans would be disappointed with the stylistic change but that this was the album they wanted to make, and it shows.
summary on the review deserves a pos btw.
| | | Album Rating: 2.0
Yeah, it really sounded like they did on Five Score. If they unsold out on this thing, then I'll give it a listen. I hate when bands sell out, and if they ever do I stop listening to them altogether. So, if they're back to being themselves, I'll listen, even if it's just for nostalgia's sake.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
album is amazing
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
this isnt like their pre-mmhmm stuff either tho none of their others albums sound like this
| | | Album Rating: 2.0
MMHMM is amazing. So, good, hopefully it'll be worth it. Maybe I'll like them again. Who knows?
Probably not though. But, either way, I'd like to stick with them if I can, since they kind of started me on music years ago.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
I actually liked Five Score. This album is definitely their best though.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
this album has too much filler but I still enjoy it quite a bit
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Oh and pretty decent review. It might help to break up that big paragraph in the middle. And maybe go a little more in depth about what this actually sounds like. If I was going into this review having no idea who Relient K was, I'd still have no idea what to expect if I were to go listen to this.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
five score's pretty good. some of tracks like the best thing and must have done something right are just really annoying tho. deathbed redeems the rest of the album pretty much anyways.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
This actually has a lot of grammar issues, especially in the very first paragraph.
Me now being older and more aware of the difference between good and bad lyrics.
Sentences like that definitely need to be cleaned up. You show some potential though so keep working at it.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Sowing: Yeah now that I've read this over multiple times, I can see that I made a lot of mistakes. I probably should have proofread it a lot more than I did. Well, I'm going to learn from my mistakes. Thanks!
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
it's cool, nobody is perfect and just like with anything the more you practice the better you will get!
| | |
| |
