No New Reaction
Posted October 01, 2008
By Nathan,
The uses for an EP are usually for promotional purposes only. For example, a band wants to release a new album soon it’s handy to give fans a dose of what is to come to build anticipation. Also EP’s have been used for getting older artists name back in the game. But leave it to one of the most unorthodox bands in Christian music to produce a completely untraditional EP which could easily pass for an album for almost any other band. Thus is the basis for Relient K’s 26 song Bird and Bee Sides EP.
The first half of the EP is the Nashville Tennis EP which is a set of completely new songs, with one exception. The curtain opens with “Where Do I Go From Here”, a punk rock tune, with a banjo opening, that is very faced paced, such a song is reminiscent of a previous song “over thinking”, which was a good song that was only magnified by the acoustic version. The same is true with “Where Do I Go From Here”; with a acoustic version allows lead singer Matthew Thiessen voice to really shine. The Nashville Tennis EP doesn’t just sport Thiessen’s genius alone; it also features a song written by bassist John Warne, “the last, the lost, the least” a edgy rock songs that sounds similar to run kid runs’ style of music and vocals. The new drummer Ethan Luck got in on the fun with the brief rock track “no reaction”.
The haunting piano ballad previously on the Apathetic EP, “the thief” was given new life and new length as “there was no thief”; the song may have more music than its predecessor but its hard not to notice that the real emotion and appeal that was wrapped up into “the thief” may have been slightly lost during the transmission, turning a great song into a really good song. The upbeat “the lining is silver” is a terrific pop tune even though the tune is a tad rough in places but comparatively it’s a fantastic song. The one song that stands out for its gut retching guitar riffs cutting edge beat that has defined Relient K as quite capable rockers is “the scene and herd” from a crushing chorus to a brilliant soft yet complex ending. A song which may fly under the radar that is really a very potent track is “there was another time my life” which speaks a lot to the diversity of Relient K’s which really should not come as a chock to anyone.
Relient K has tried their hand at rap, rock; punk, pop; acoustic, worship; and now (which is the real core of the Nashville Tennis EP is built around a style that fans briefly heard on the song “faking my own suicide”) country. The music is basically pop with a country influence, as the twangy guitar riffs are almost too much for those who can’t stand the southern style. “At Least We Made It This Far” and “You'll Always Be My Best Friend” may be more annoying southern pop songs but they are still fun, and the single “I Just Want You To Know” is among the better songs. The corny “Beaming” makes a mockery of country music for 1:37 seconds as the curtain falls on the music of Nashville Tennis EP.
Relient K has been one of those few bands who have received mainstream success but have not scarified their spiritual side of their lyrics at any time, though they have never shied away from a few laughs. “The last, the Lost, the Least” reminds Christians of our duty to the unfortunate (‘His image shown/When we give our lives, our time, our own/To feed, to clothe/Those in His image we have left alone’), and “I just want you to know” brings to mind the thing we want everyone to know ‘There was a man who lived one day/With holes in his hands as some do say’. Although “the lining is silver” teaches to look for the good side of things it hints that goodness comes from inside us.
While talking about his beloved a really nice thing shows up on the girl/guy songs: commitment. In “at least we made it this far” it makes the statement that tough times will only strengthen the relationship, plus "You'll Always Be My Best Friend" and “curl up and die” share similar levels of commitment. Of course it would not be Relient K without their hilarious lines and corny songs like ‘And odds are that you probably/Magically got this song for free’ (which has a unfortunate ring of truth to it), and “no reaction”.
The other side of the 26 song EP is the self titled (?) Bird and Bee Sides EP, which includes a couple acoustic versions of past songs and tracks that only early devoted fans could capture. The “up and up” acoustic version is very smooth and doesn’t drag like some acoustic tracks can, and “who I am hates who’ve I’ve been” is equally amazing. Relient K pays their tribute to Five Iron Frenzy in “Five Iron Frenzy Is Either Dead Or Dying”, a 41 second fast paced rock song; the Ska Version of the song is a little more funky, but the bands enthusiastic heart still remains.
“The wit’s been done before” is classical Relient K rock with a punk influence that has been amazing from day one and amazingly the band picks it up even farther with the witty fast paced “the vinyl countdown”. The “Jefferson Airplane (Demo)” is creative but it lacks some of the charm as non-demo version, and the acoustic version of “hope for every fallen man” drag some and defiantly doesn’t line up with the original mix. “The Stenographer (Demo)” has a very sharp light sound which is simply brilliant. The background music is similar to what eleventy seven uses for their new martial on “For the band”, the entertaining different up-beat song that features a terrific bridge.
It’s fascinating watching Relient K’s wit change over the years; it seems that now more silly songs are set apart because of their short lengths but four years ago entire sons were devoted to silliness like “the vinyl count down” (‘In the present day in which we live /It's all the same with all the kids /No one knows what vinyl is /Cause they just burn the MP3s (Whoa-o) /Onto their stacks of blank CDs’). Throw in the “Five Iron Frenzy” tracks, “The Stenographer (Demo)”, and the hilarious “A Penny Loafer Saved Is A Penny Loafer Earned” and you have a fair share of laughs. But Relient K stills stays true to offering meat among the jokes like “Hope For Every Fallen Man” which offers insight on redemption and a great look at human nature (‘Because the judge of you is someone I could never be,/Is why you should thank the Lord that it is Him, and it's not me.’).
Everyone’s familiar with the great message of “Who I Am Hates Who I've Been” and probably the slightly less known hopeful “up and up” (‘For you never cease to supply/Me with with what I need for a good life/So when I'm down I'll hold my head up high’). “Nothing without you” eloquently describes our dependence on God (‘We're nothing without You /(When me and You subtract the latter /Equals nothing really matters)’). Practical messages show up one “for the band” which seems to indicate ones obsession on something could lead to straining relationships and Relient K offers an abundance of insights in "Wit's All Been Done Before" (‘But to innovate, is a mistake,/Cause there's nothing new under the sun… Cause we're all getting tired of the media,/Cause it tries too hard to make you like something,’).
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