Relient K - Five Score and Seven Years Ago

After a breakout hit with 2004’s Mmhmm, Relient K is back with what may their most complete work to date. Five Score and Seven Years Ago (a play on the space between the band’s first album and this, their fifth) is pop/punk gold that successfully toes the overtly cheesy line while at times hitting a level of honesty the band hasn’t reached before. Five Score begins with “Take the Fifth,” a peppy intro track which hints at an homage to Honest Abe Lincoln and his untimely death, but the album really kicks off with “Come Right Out And Say It,” an upbeat tune that has ‘single’ written all over it. The next track, “I Need You,” is one of the album’s best and allows the band to show a little heavier side but not without the including their own personal touch. “Forgiven” is another standout track and the haunting piano intro is a stirring contrast to the song’s uplifting message. This is followed by “Must Have Done Something Right,” the first single off the album, which, for anyone who might have been worried, is in no way indicative of the rest of the album, though its sugary goodness is impossible to resist. “Give” and “Devastation and Reform” follow; the former is a moving song about giving everything to God “until there’s nothing else,” and the latter contains possibly the best lead riff the band has ever produced. “Faking My Own Suicide” is a slightly morbid yet sweet song that is also one of the most unique on the album, with its steel guitar and bluegrass roots giving the album a nice break. “Bite My Tongue” and “Up and Up” bridge the gap nicely between the previous song and the album’s stellar and epic closing track, “Deathbed.” This final song tells the story of a man who, while lying on his deathbed, looks back on his life and how, in spite of how far he fell, Jesus still gave him a chance to spend eternity with Him. Clocking in at just over 11 minutes and featuring guest vocals from Switchfoot’s Jon Foreman, the track is a wonderful close to the album, as it plays with different styles and time signatures to craft a song that is beautiful and honest at the same time. Overall, the album is a very strong effort from the band. It’s not perfect by any stretch, but it certainly does what it sets out to do. The most impressive thing about the album is just how much it shows how far Relient K has come. The progression that this band has taken, from uber-goofy unaffecting pop/punk to a mature, sometimes thought provoking (yet still) pop/punk band is tremendous. I don't know of many bands that have progressed as well as they have. I've been very impressed with how far they've come and think Five Score will be a lasting album that will be remembered at year's end. [www.relientk.com]