Now, at the time, frankly, I assumed I would never see or hear from them again. ![]() Not so much by the band, per se, but by the embodiment of punk rock that was before me at that moment. That’s right: in a church sanctuary, kids were moshing in front of the altar and crowd surfing off of pews to songs like “ Hello McFly,” “ Staples” and “ Softer To Me.” Someone even had to stop the band’s set to tell kids to stop. Supertones, Switchfoot and Relient K in a church may not exactly be Strike Anywhere and Ignite, but Relient K’s set was my first exposure to mosh pits and crowd surfing. So if you have not already, give this band a shot and maybe you'll find the same to be true.It sounds silly, but this was truly my first punk rock show. They love the style of music they play with all their heart and could not care less if they "make it" on MTV or not, unlike many other bands in this genre. ![]() What I like the most about this band is that they are honest musicians with some of the most honest lyrics you will ever hear. These albums are not "preachy" in the slightest way, and I do not feel like they are trying to force anything down my throat. I myself am not a Christian, and Relient K's last two full-length albums and this EP do not bother me at all lyrically. But if it is because they are a Christian band, you should reconsider. If it is because of the genre of music that they play, then fair enough. Many of you will immediately dismiss this band for one of two reasons: Either because they are "pop-punk" or because they are a Christian band. My hope is that their next album will have more songs such as these two. While there is no hint of punk or pop-punk for that matter in these last two songs, they are very enjoyable and is Relient K at their greatest. "In Like a Lion" is one of the best songs they have ever released.and yes, the band has said that the song was inspired by The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Nonetheless, they finish the EP off strong with two amazing tracks, "In Like a Lion" and "The Thief." These songs are not the traditional sounding Relient K pop-punk sound they are both piano ballads that showcase Thiessen's vocal ability quite well. This is the low point of the EP, and it was a mistake for Relient K to do this, because the first two songs were so full and strong, and then the three acoustic songs let you down in some respects. ![]() Next up are three acoustic versions of previous Relient K songs, two of which appeared on their latest album, and the other one which appeared on their release Two Lefts Don't Make a Right.But Three Do. The EP continues with the insanely catchy B-side from Mmhmm titled "Apathetic Way to Be," in which Relient K makes usage of the pun " Being apathetic's a pathetic way to be.but I don't care, what matters to you does not matter to me." Relient K has historically used puns throughout their music, and once again, this song's lyrics make it especially interesting. The song's lyrics are well-written and thought-provoking, with the theme being "Sometimes the hardest thing to believe is the truth." The EP starts out with "The Truth," a song that has a Bad Religion feel in the beginning, which leads into a melodic verse and chorus beautifully sung by Matthew Thiessen, a vocalist who easily has one of the best voices in pop-punk today. It follows the heels of their highly successful album, Mmhmm, and does a fine job living up to the standard set by that record. Now to their latest EP, which was released in December 2005. They have improved with every single album, and despite releasing so much material in a short amount of time, they have avoided the filler that we find from so many bands in that genre. Few bands have worked as hard as Relient K they release a full-length album nearly every year and even a few EPs in between, all the while touring small venues around the country to slowly build their fanbase. ![]() Over the years, this band has matured an incredible amount from their annoying and overly preachy debut album in 2000 to their fourth full-length, Mmhmm, which was released in 2004. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the band, Relient K is a pop-punk band with lyrics that cover subjects ranging from contemporary issues to relationships to their faith, with the more controversial being the latter. Relient K has gone a long way in the last year or two in improving their sound.
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