REVIEW: Relient K - Five Score And Seven Years Ago
4 / 5 stars
Highly recommended album. It’s been amazing to see these guys mature from album to album. Their last, mmhmm, brought their music to a whole new maturity level and Five Score... brings some more of the same. Full of catchy hooks and riffs and clever but heart-felt lyrics, I highly recommend picking this one up. If anything, you need to hear the song Deathbed…
01 Plead The Fifth (A Cappella)
4 / 5 stars
What can I say, I’m a sucker for a cappella. With some nice beat-boxing, this one doesn’t disappoint.
02 Come Right Out And Say It
3 / 5 stars
Fantastic intro. Totally grabbed me from the beginning. Loses the cool factor once the real verse kicks in though and becomes more of a standard fare punk song. Not to say it’s not good, it just doesn’t have much to stand out… a few times I’ve found myself listening to the first 20 seconds and skipping to the next song even though it’s a good listen.
03 I Need You
5 / 5 stars
Oooh, I wish the album had bit more of this stuff on it. A bit heavier than your standard Relient K… and I love it! The guitars hit heavy along with a driving drum beat. The verses have this great tension that just has you on the edge of your seat and the lyrics are a great calling in desperation for God’s security.
04 The Best Thing
4 / 5 stars
Maybe I’m biased, but this song is great. It’s a simple sweet little song about falling in love. Nothing stand out, just some good solid rock and catchy hooks.
05 Forgiven
5 / 5 stars
Ahh yah. There are some fantastic hooks on this album, and this may have one of the best. The song starts with a simple little piano riff in the background that stands out just barely enough to be noticed. Enter the second verse where that awesome little riff becomes the vocal melody. I can’t tell you how many times I find myself humming that part in my head. So catchy.
06 Must Have Done Something Right
4 / 5 stars
Another cute little love song. This has a few more of the signature Relient K witty lines such as:
We should get jerseys, cuz we make a good team.
But yours would look better than mine, cuz you’re out of my league
You can’t help but smile listening to this… when the verse trails with “we’ve got it goin on.” Classic. This will likely be a big hit with the old-school Relient K fans.
07 Give Until There’s Nothing Left
2 / 5 stars
This one just didn’t do much for me. It’s decent enough but I find myself getting bored by the time the second verse rolls around.
08 Devastation And Reform
4 / 5 stars
Oh heck yes. Another song leading off with a super-catchy guitar riff… that I can’t get out of my head. This is just a great rockin’ song. This one’s going to be a blast to see live.
09 I’m Taking You With Me
3 / 5 stars
Just a fun bob-your-head-to-the-beat song.
10 Faking My Own Suicide
2 / 5 stars
This is an interesting little song. It’s kind of a light-hearted little joke song about faking a suicide so that a girl will realize how much she loves him. Didn’t really do much for me, it’s kind of humorous but I couldn’t really get into the country twang of it.
11 Crayons Can Melt On Us For All I Care
4 / 5 stars
Hahaha, hilarious. Go take a free listen on the iTunes Music Store.
12 Bite My Tongue
3 / 5 stars
Another solid rock song. Also happens to have my favorite tongue-in-cheek lyric from the album:
I’m sweeping up the seconds that tick off the clock
I’ll save them up for later when I’m too ticked to talk
13 Up And Up
3 / 5 stars
I don’t think I mentioned it but this album has several songs (like this one) that almost have an 80’s rock ballad feel to them. It’s mostly just the combination of “ooh"s and “aah"s and keyboard/piano rock.
14 Deathbed
5 / 5 stars
This song is worth purchasing the entire album for. Yes, it’s that good. It’s an 11-minute epic song of a man reflecting on the times and trials of his life as he lies on his death bed, waiting for the end to come. The lyrics are beautiful and heart-wrenching. The production and writing on this song are stellar. No verse or chorus is played the same way twice and they make use of many different instruments including strings, trumpet, french horn, ukulele, sleigh bells, trombone, flute, and what sounds like a glockenspiel. Also features a small cameo with Jon Foreman (leader singer of Switchfoot). A beautiful ending to the album.
I am the way, follow me and take my hand.
I am the truth, embrace me and you’ll understand.
I am the life, and through me you’ll live again.For I am love, I am love.
I am love.
12 Comments
Ben G.
Mar 24 @ 12:57 PM
I’m definitely going to have to check this one out. I like Reliant K’s style a lot and after reading about your thoughts I really want to get their new album. It’s really hard, in my opinion, to find good Christian rock.
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Janet
Mar 25 @ 05:38 AM
You’re right about Deathbed. It really is that good. If I’m playing the CD in my car and know I won’t be able to listen to it all before reaching my destination, I skip to Deathbed. It’s one of my favorite songs, not just of the CD or Relient K, but of all my CDs.
Janet
www.CanIChangeALife.blogspot.com
Joyce
Mar 25 @ 07:50 PM
Faking my own suicide is supposedly Jesus singing it. The letter he writes is the bible, we’re the “girl”
kabababrubarta
Mar 26 @ 04:32 PM
Nice design! kabababrubarta
Jesse J. Anderson
Mar 27 @ 09:44 PM
Joyce - hmm, are you sure about that? I can sort of see how that could be but, in my eyes it wouldn’t paint Jesus in a very good light based on the lyrics.
I think I like it better as it simply being what it is.
Danielle
Mar 28 @ 01:38 AM
Jesse, that was a really good review! Well done. Of course, you don’t need to convince me ‘cause I already have the CD and already know it’s fantastic. But good job reviewing it. :)
Micah S.
Apr 02 @ 10:58 AM
for the most part I agree with your review, buuuut in my oppinion give would have to be one of my faves in the cd because of #1. the sound #2. the false seto in the chorus, to me it just sounds awesome, but I need you would probably be my fave on the cd. I like come right out and say it because what it’s saying is that that he would rather hear the truth then just some stupid lie, and I think every1 would rather hear the truth 2, DEATH BED is an amazing song even though its 11 minutes long every minute of the song is worth it.Faking my own suicide I find it humorous because of the way the lyrics are set up and just how some people actually think like that, its kind of messed up but it made my parents laugh and their not really big fans of RK at all but they like this cd, I think Relient K gets better and better with each cd.
Mae E.
Apr 04 @ 05:33 PM
Hmm...you and I similar different tastes. Faking My Own Suicide was great for me, although I resent the country-ish instrumentals. It would sound way better without the harmonica. -__^
I’ll admit, I turned off Deathbed the first time I heard it because I was starting to cry. Eventually I listened all the way through and I enjoyed it, particularly the last chorus where Jesus tells him he’ll never be lonely again. ^^ Crayons Can Melt… gave me and my bro a good laugh.
I’m not gonna give a whole ‘nother review(you already have a good one here), Ima juss say that Relient K has been on my ‘favorites’ list since the Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek. I recommend them if you’re one of those bored people, Hawk Nelson fans, or just a regular Joe.
Julia
Apr 18 @ 10:17 AM
I agree with you about the 80’s style of genre. Relient K seems to love changing genres with each C.D!! But i dont think this falls in the same spotlight as “anatomy of the tongue and chceek” or “mmhmm” so..thats just my opinion, but i still loved this c.d ... and im listening to deathbed for the first time all the way through. its a good song!! thanks for the review..
Crayons cracks me up everytime i listen to it…
I do agree...Forgiven, I need you, and must have done something right are the best songs on this Album
Will
Jun 01 @ 04:44 PM
I have to agree that this album is one of relient k’s best (if not the best) albums they’ve produced. I find myself listening to the “unnoticed” songs on this album every day and finding new favorites among them. These guys played a lot of these songs at a concert i attended recently, and really show the emotion presented in their songs when they play. I would highly recommend this album to anyone looking for a break from the normal, stereotypical punk stuff out there today. If you ever find an oppurtunity to see these guys in concert i strongly suggest going, they’re awesome!
Patrick Beverly
Jun 26 @ 09:56 PM
On the track “Death Bed,” Switchfoot’s lead singer does an outstanding part. It’s amazing.
Colin
Aug 02 @ 08:53 AM
just found a website devoted to this release:
http://relient-k-five-score-and-seven-years-ago.info/