Wednesday, October 07, 2009

relient k: forget and not slow down

these guys can do no wrong! their first studio album since 'five score and seven years ago' finds these guys a little older, a little wiser, and life a lot more complicated. the lyrics on this album are just as amazing as the rest of their stuff, but there is a bit of a shift from light hearted word play, to more soulful introspection. the title song sounds breezy, but the lyrics about breaking up and forgetting to examine yourself and learn from it are very poignant. the rest of the album flows from this well, examining life from different situations and trying to understand what it means. there are quite a few transition songs that lead from one tune to the next, making the whole album one that must be listened to all the way through. the highlight of the album is the song 'sahara' and its transition into the beautiful 'savannah', which feels like a trip from the desert into a beautiful prairie, as the names would suggest. the vocals from matthew theissen (who is also the chief songwriter) seem more matured and poetic this time through. gone are the vocalizations that the band started with in its pop-punk sound, they are replaced with the melodic yearnings we now hear from a band that has more than hit its stride, they are at an all out sprint! can these guys possibly get any better? i, for one, am more than willing to find out!