Relient K - Five Score and Seven Years Ago

Gotee Records/Capitol Records


4 out of 5 stars

Rely on Good Times with Relient K’s “Five Score and Seven Years Ago”

Relient K is made up of five guys that you totally wanted to date in high school. They write sweet lyrics that just beg you to hold them. Then you grew up and got cynical, and those sweet guys just seemed paranoid and were likely broken by past girlfriends. I admit, I never listened to Relient K until I was asked to review their new album, “Five Score and Seven Years Ago,” so I’m not one of their devoted fans ― and they do have many. And it was only in reading their MySpace wall comments that I realized that they’re a Christian band (It’s filled with many “God bless”es). As is usually the case with mainstream Christian music (think Switchfoot, Lifehouse, Creed), I didn’t realize that the songs were written about God and not women they loved or lusted after. I automatically think love songs are about women or men, and not religious in any way, but that’s just a personal assumption (and you know what they say about assuming…). I’m also still not sure what “rules” apply to make any band have the “Christian” label, but nothing in their music is overpoweringly religious or preachy, so don’t discount them due solely to an aversion to religious music.

To their credit, Relient K is relentlessly fun to listen to. You know how any movie starring a popular young starlet/musician opens with some sort of scene involving dancing in underwear and singing into a hairbrush? ― prepare yourself, because “Five Score and Seven Years Ago” will force that hairbrush into your hand and make you bust a move. Helping this along is the fact that you will know the words after listening to about a minute of each song, so singing along comes pretty easy. Hopefully, their great, pure voices will be loud enough to overcome your own singing attempts.

One song, in particular, impressed me with the piano and deeper sounds ― “Forgiven”, which is set right in the middle of the album packs in a lot power and grounds the whole thing. Also, a short song called “Crayons Can Melt On Us” will rock your world, I have no doubt. “I Need You” will make many girls swoon and the most cynical of us will smirk and mock it, but secretly enjoy the cheery energy of it all. Cute, fun lyrics are blended with a slightly more rock sound than we usually find coupled with cute boys and swoon-worthy lyrics.

In other good news, the guys are proud of their easy-going, fun style as demonstrated on their official website bio: “The name Relient K has always been synonymous with some of the most contagious power pop/punk rock, tongue in cheek songwriting and feel good fun anyone could ever ask for.” There’s certainly nothing wrong with making cheery music, even though that’s not so much the trend lately with all the angsty antics of the emo folk and punksters.

As mentioned before, this album is the first I’ve heard from the guys, perhaps because I went to a Catholic, all-girls high school that considered any sort of Christian rock equivalent to the plague. This means I can’t compare this new album with their old stuff, but as a standalone record, I give my approval and recommend “Five Score and Seven Years Ago” to anyone having a shit day or just looking for some fun new music. Also, check them out on tour now. I’m betting they put on a really entertaining show with plenty of screaming girl fans.

Relient K’s new album Five Score and Seven Years ago comes out March 6th
Relient K on MySpace
Relient K’s official Website
Relient K Tour dates with guests Mae and Sherwood

Reviewed by: Sally Feller | March 2007

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