In celebration of their own history, the pop-punk band Relient K parodies Lincoln's famous speech opener for its album's title, "Five Score and Seven Years Ago." They also give him a nod with their own opener about a man who believes John Wilkes Booth was wrongly accused of his murder.
Five albums and seven years into Relient K's career, the band has succeeded in besting their previous work with each new release, and the latest is no exception.
Even after a change of band members - the new album is the band's first without bassist Brian Pittman and the first with new members Jon Schneck (guitar) and John Warne (bass) - Relient K returns with a matured version of its characteristic sound and scores again with its pop-punk beats, witty lyrics and tight, upbeat sound.
Relient K is headed by the incredibly talented vocalist, guitarist, pianist and songwriter Matthew Thiessen. Fans who have followed the band since its 2000 self-titled debut undoubtedly feel like they have listened to Thiessen mature. As the primary songwriter for the band, many of the songs relate to his own spiritual status, love of girls (and bewilderment towards them) and random thoughts which lead to songs that don't seem to have any other purpose than to entertain.
While the album is acoustically cohesive, it seems to be thematically split between love songs (some romantic and some quirky) and a dialectic of guilt, repentance and redemption - both veteran themes in Thiessen's lyrics.
The album's main single, "Must Have Done Something Right," combines classic Relient K energy with lyrics of sincere adoration, producing an ultra-happy, upbeat love song, perfectly exemplifying Relient K's typical cheese-done-right sound. Thiessen's initial suggestion, "We should get jerseys/ 'cause we make a good team/ But yours would look better than mine/ 'cause you're out of my league," leads into the declaration that "everyday spent with you/ is the new best day of my life."
Thiessen, who bemoaned the volatility of girls' emotions two albums ago in the song "Mood Rings," seems to have mastered the art of the love song. "The Best Thing" is nearly a marriage proposal. After telling his girl how perfect their relationship is, he croons, "'Cause when I looked into your eyes/ and you dared to stare right back/ you should've said 'Nice to meet you/ I'm your other half.'" Add these two songs to the next mix CD you make for that special someone and you'll be golden - but be careful, there is serious emotion here.
In "Faking My Own Suicide," Thiessen parodies Mark Twain, creating a quirky love song in which a modern day Tom Sawyer fakes his death to show his crush how much she loves him, claiming, "because I know you love me/ you just haven't realized" and fantasizes about her joy at his reappearance.
Pop culture allusions are common in Thiessen's lyrics, although the quirky morbidity of "Suicide" shows a departure from the band's trademark silliness that filled up most the "Two Lefts Don't Make a Right ... But Three Do" (2003) album and even made an appearance on its latest and more serious album, "MMHMM" (2004), in songs like "High of 75," about weather-induced mood swings.
It's the other songs on the album, which fall under the guilt and redemption theme, that supply the album with its hardest beats and fuller sound, if not the most interesting lyrics. However, even the darker songs of the album are catchy.
The album closes with the song "Deathbed," which tells the story of an elderly man dying of lung cancer, looking back on his life. The 11-minute ballad keeps your attention to the end, utilizing many different instrumental accompaniments, including piano solos, a bell choir and a symphonic orchestra. Here, the band doesn't try to hide its Christian roots, though in typical Relient K fashion, religion does not dominate the song.
Although Relient K has always been influenced by the faith of its members, the band fits none of the stereotypes of "Christian rock" and proves it can have mainstream appeal, just like the Christian band Switchfoot, whose lead singer, Jon Foreman, coincidently makes an appearance at the end of "Deathbed."
Old and new fans alike will appreciate Relient K's latest album. Those who joined the throng with the release of "MMHMM" should be ready for the same emotion and angst with more drums and a faster beat, and older fans will be rewarded with a return to the energy of the band's earlier work.
Thiessen's lyrics and voice continue to charm, and the progress of the other members and the addition of the new ones provide him with a fuller and more mature back-up than ever before. "Five Score and Seven Years Ago" is Relient K's latest testament that the band only gets better with age.
