Freedom, Justice, America and... Taco Bell
Posted July 03, 2008
By art10,
Ever since I listened to "Mmhmm" back in 2004, my musical eyes have been opened to a whole new light, and things never were the same for me again. I sought out everything Relient K has done, and bought just about every album of theirs ever released. And what I couldn't buy, I borrowed and searched. Now, Relient K comes out with not only their most ambitious EP yet, but also their most ambitious project yet. Does it disappoint? Please, this is Relient K, they NEVER disappoint.
The Nashville Tennis EP:
"Where Do I Go From Here" starts the CD off with banjo's, before quickly shifting into punk blazing guitars. "The Scene and Heard" is a mixed bag. On the one hand, it seems like it was made for MySpace, which is not a good thing, but on the other hand, it really showcases Matty T's sharp lyrics that never slow or let up. In the end, the song thinks it's better than it really is, and ends up one of the overall weaker tracks on the CD. "At Least We Made It This Far" continues the much-appreciated of great segways in-between songs, which really makes the album flow together in a cohesive fashion. The song itself is amazingly written, and seems like a cover of a Bob Dylan song or something. The melody only helps the song.
Don't turn skip the next song, it IS Relient K, and it is not Ace Troubleshooter reborn, nope, welcome to a new experiment. Relient K so chock full of talent aside from Matt Thiessen, they're basically The Beatles, with Paul, Ringo and the rest waiting in the wings itching to show they're equally amazing. And guess what they are. John Warne does an amazing job here, and makes me actually want Ace Troubleshooter to come back from the musical grave.
"The Lining is Silver" is an unknowing plug to Rilo Kiley, and is classic Relient K. It's fun, catchy, rockin' and happy, and sure to please all fans. "There Was No Thief" is a regrouping of "The Thief" from "The Apathetic EP." The original was underwhelming, and the weakest track from that release. Here, it's redone, redesigned, rearranged just plain made better. It ends up as one of the stronger tracks of this release, and wins the award for most improved song of the year.
"No Reaction" is Ethan Luck's introduction to Relient K, which is a cornucopia of punk and ska, a tribute to his roots while looking forward to his future. Matthew Hoopes also gets in on the act, with his long-awaited solo singing debut in a song that he duets with Matt T. who the song must be about, since they've been with each other since the beginning. A great effort by Hoopes and hopefully we'll here a lot more from him in the future.
"There Was Another Time In My Life" is very unfortunately long-titled and repetitive, but great music saves it from a shallow fate. "Beaming" is a short tribute to the band's earlier pop culture reference days, and guess what, they're still as clever as ever, if not more so. "I Just Want You To Know" fits perfectly with the Spring/Summer sound of the album with its sunny melody, and cheerful lyrics.
Lastly on this portion, Jon Schneck (love that name :) brings "The Nashville Tennis EP" out with a stunning bang that is the most epic and jam-packed you can get in a minute and thirty seconds. It's a mix of country and bluegrass, Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan, and that's not all folks. There's also a Tennessee-sized oblige packed with hilarity & laughter. It's great to see the guys haven't lost their humor after all these years... And then there's the Bees. There's buzzing, bee voices, and did I mention Bees? Sadly, Jerry Seinfeld is absent from this track. :(
The Bird and the Bee Sides:
A Relient K Fan's dream CD. All these rare songs you haven't been able to attain, listen to, or shell out the money for. In my quest for everything Relient K, I've heard most of these songs before. Except of course everything from The Vinyl Countdown, which nobody could have heard unless they had a vinyl player. The great thing about all these songs is that they're remastered, which almost makes them sound like they were recorded yesterday. And boy, you can tell the difference.
From "The Creepy EP," you have the amazing "Jefferson Airplane," which is different from the original in the fact that the chorus is distinctly changed. This version itself is completely amazing and certainly one of the best Relient K has ever done. However, if you want the rest of the amazing tracks from this EP, you'll still have to keep looking. But more on that later.
On the other hand from "Employee of the Month EP," you have all its songs. "Wit's All Been Done Before" benefits very well from the remastering, offering a great number with great lyrics and awesome punk/rock sound. "For The Band" is another fun number which showcases the earlier sound of the band, and somebody named Chris who has developed a severe disliking for everything related to Relient K. Haters... Gotta hate them. "A Penny Loafer..." is a light little ditty which makes no sense lyrically, but turns out to somehow be a tribute to the Beach Boys.
"The Vinyl Countdown" is probably the most exiting of this release, because it has never really been heard before. "The Vinyl Countdown," (the title track), is fun ode to the changing formats of music storage, with a special fondness for the vinyl disc. "Nothing Without You" is little bit more hardcore than an early fan would expect. It's a strange mix, but it somehow seems to work, although it is a little repetitive. "Five Iron Frenzy..." is a strange and short tribute to a band which disbanded a few years ago, which I've actually never heard. But I guess Relient K liked them, so that's good enough for me.
As for the other tracks, I got the acoustic version of "Up and Up" when I pre-ordered "Five Score..." from Wal-Mart. It's a great take on the song, and it adds a little bit more depth to an already amazing song. "Hope For Every Fallen Man," is an acoustic version of "Fallen Man" which was on "Must Have Done Something Right EP." The acoustic version was most commonly found on a pre-order of "Five Score..." from Best Buy. I personally think the acoustic version gets a lot closer to the heart of the song and its lyrics. And if you really look at the lyrics close enough, you'll find something really powerful in there.
Along with all those tracks, you get two unreleased tracks. "Here I Go" fits perfectly with Relient K's modern sound. "The Stenographer" is a musical hodgepodge, with pianos and electronic 80's vocals. It's pretty funky, and reminds me of something you might hear in Indie Music.
My most major complaint about this album is strangely the lack of songs. Sure, it has 26 songs, but they could have easily had 10 more! From the songs they left off from "The Creepy EP," including the moving rendition of "Softer To Me," their cover of "Sloop John B," the promised demo version of "Sadie Hawkins Dance," and their "live" version of "Breakdown." They could have easily done a double-disc album, but instead they put 26 songs on one disc. Not complaining, just saying.
Overall, Relient K, like Tiger Woods, is never satisfied with a good thing, and they strive to always improve. So far, and with this release, they never cease to amaze on the fact that they never stop getting better. And even though this CD does have its faults and cracks, they're not big enough to damage California, but they might break your mother's back. This release will be cornerstone for Relient K's future, and I can't wait to see what comes next for the band, because there's no telling just what they'll do.
By the way, my most prized possession in my Relient K collection is the vinyl release of "Mmhmm." Incredibly rare, and so incredibly awesome. And I have NRT to thank for it!!! View All Music And Book Reviews By art10 | View art10's Profile
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