Resound Radio | Album Reviews

Five Score and Seven Years Ago

Relient K | March 6th, 2007

For the last couple of years, Relient K has been blurring the line between being a mainstream and Christian artist. Mmhmm found the band first dipping its toes into the mainstream, and with the release of Five Score And Seven Years Ago, the guys begin to wade even more into the waters of mainstream appeal. Being their fifth full-length album in seven years (hence the album's title), Relient K has found a sound distinctively their own in the world of rock music, boasting one of their most elaborate and mature records to date.

The album opens with the a cappella “Plead the Fifth,” showing the vocalists' harmonies are as tight as ever. Quickly following is the incredibly catchy and energetic “Come Right Out And Say It,” which tackles the issue of beating around the bush and blatantly conveying our thoughts. These two songs together create the most memorable beginning to a Relient K disc I have yet to hear. Rocker songs “I Need You” and “Forgiven” are both declarative statements of the bands faith, showing that the guys haven't lost focus in all the mainstream glamour surrounding their music. “The Best Thing” and “Must Have Done Something Right” bring to light the album's focus of human relationships, a theme that arises from time to time during the CD's course.

The second half of the album is a little less memorable than the first, with topics seeming to be a little more scatter-brained. However, the music is still catchy and enjoyable while Relient K finds themselves exploring new musical scenery. While Mmhmm introduced fans to the piano, Five Score implements a little bit of banjo in “Faking My Own Suicide,” a clever song dealing with suicide and unrealized love. “Devastation and Reform” as well as “Bite My Tongue” offer the best bit of music in the latter half of the disc.

Up until this point of the CD, listeners may still be rather unconvinced of the band's devotion to portraying the Gospel through their music. However, with the final track, we perhaps see the strongest Relient K song to date. “Deathbed” takes the listener on a musical journey, recounting the life of a man whose life is about to end due to lung cancer. The eleven-minute song is without a doubt the highlight of the album, both lyrically and musically. Relient K expresses their most explicit lyrics pertaining to Christ yet and does so without the listener ever feeling “preached to.” Lyrics such as, You loved that Lamb / with every sinful bone / and there you wept alone / your heart was so contrite / You said Jesus please forgive me of my crimes, are a prime example of how Relient K can pull off such a feat. The song's end has Jon Foreman, lead singer of Switchfoot, depicting the voice of God, which he does both delicately and forcefully. It's truly a song that I will personally love for a long time.

While parts of the album can relate to either earthly relationships or our relationship with our heavenly Father, Relient K offers some of the most talented songwriting to come out in recent memory. Relient K may not be marketed as a worship band, but they offer a unique brand of writing that listeners can authentically worship Christ through. Relient K has matured brilliantly and only continues to improve themselves. If you've ever been a fan of Relient K, this is not an album to pass up. If for nothing else, the final track is worth the cost of the CD alone.

Reviewed by Jarrod Steinmetz on October 31st, 2008

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