While a big fan of music, I'm usually disappointed when a new recording tries to follow on the heels of a recording of great sucess. So, in lieu of hoping for a great sound from an established artist or band, I spend more of my time attempting to find the more obscure and unknown music that is out there - and there is a lot of it out there!
Nevertheless, one band that I have liked since the beginning is the band called Relient K. Perhaps the best description of their work to date is Christian Punk Rock, although even that doesn't adequately describe the entirety of their musical catalog. With their last release a couple of years ago, they acheived more mainstream success and are now able to release their recordings on both a Christian label and a mainstream label. Having said all of this, their latest release (just released yesterday) titled Fore Score and Seven years, Relient K picks up where they left off when it comes to producing good music with a wholesome message. While the sound is a little less intense than Mmmm... (their last release), the overall sound is almost as catchy. I say almost because I was blown away with Mmmm. All of the songs were of such great quality that repeated listenings of the entire CD were warranted. Each song had a uniqueness about it that warranted this repeat listening. The trouble with this release, and a problem that Relient K ran into on some of their earlier releases, was some great songs that unfortunately sound too similar. While I like the album overall, only a few tracks really stand out as exceptional and unique.
Having said this, however, I'm glad to hear something new from the boys from Ohio. The lyrics are exceptional and at times rather humerous. Even with their mainstream success, they haven't stopped talking about their need for God and their summer is filled with dates at a variety of Christian music festivals throughout the country. While not their best work to date, it is certainly a worthy listen and one that I can't wait to hear again. In fact, maybe I'll listen to it right now...
