Relient K - Forget and Not Slow Down
Rating
RIYL
SherwoodMae
Switchfoot
Release Date
10/06/2009
Label
Mono Vs StereoTracklist
1. "Forget and Not Slow Down"2. "I Don't Need a Soul"
3. "Candlelight"
4. "Flare (Outro)"
5. "Part of It"
6. "(Outro)"
7. "Therapy"
8. "Over It"
9. "Sahara"
10. "Oasis (Intro)"
11. "Savannah"
12. "Baby (Outro)"
13. "If You Believe Me"
14. "This Is the End"
15. "(If You Want It)"
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Relient K’s musical maturation has become one of the most transparent stories in modern music. From the cheesy, but potential laden self-titled debut album through their newest offering and sixth full-length Forget and Not Slow Down, a listener could very easily chart the band’s movement from their early, nauseatingly Christian pop-punk to their current mix of piano-laden, self-aware rock. Throughout the course of the band’s history, Relient K has been on a trajectory between merely showing great potential (albeit in awkward and ham-fisted ways) and moments of dreck to finally and gracefully reaching their full potential on Forget and Not Slow Down.
The opening title track is one of the most competent pop-rock songs songwriter Matt Theissen has ever written, which is quite the accomplishment for a man who has written numerous great songs in his career. The upbeat Elvis Costello-influenced tune is the full display of Relient K’s songwriting skills with its soaring instrumentation and catchy, but tasteful, chorus. The build-up at the end and the subsequent voice-cracking display of vocal prowess truly highlight Thiessen’s plea to “resurrect the saint within the wretch.” “I Don’t Need a Soul”, “If You Believe Me” and “Therapy” are just plain great rock songs with a heavy usage of piano, no gimmicks to note, and a display of how the band isn’t afraid to shake songs up by adding in an unexpected dynamic, chord change or minor turn.
But apart from proving that the band can write a great pop-rock tune, the album really shines when the band wades into more experimental waters. “Candlelight” opens with some piano and acoustic picking, but soon jumps into full quasi-country mode. This bouncy and sweet love song is a unique venture for Relient K and succeeds beautifully, especially when combined with its outro, “Flare.” The band makes significant use of movements and suites on this album, and “Candlelight” moving into “Flare” is a great example of how the band makes it work. It is an abrupt, but enjoyable, change when the song moves from bouncy acoustics to dreamy, reverbed guitars and ethereal vocals, evoking a feeling of waking up in a haze from a good dream. “Sahara” and “Savannah”, separated only by the creepy interlude “Oasis”, are on the two extremes of the band's spectrum. “Sahara” is dark and angular, and the Bloc Party-esque tune is also one of the best songs on Forget and Now Slow Down. It’s counterpoint, “Savannah”, is filled with odd plucking riffs and world-music rhythms, and its outro “Baby” continues the same vocal melodies but instead puts it over dirty ringing guitars before ending in mournful and sparse acoustics. While these two (four including interludes) songs feel like they may have been an exercise in stretching the band’s writing chops, they come off as a bold success, proving that the band is talented enough to thrive in any genre.
The most jarring moment on the album comes on the final suite of “This is the End” and “(If You Want It)”. The former begins with just piano and vocals, leading the listener to believe they will get a ballad. But suddenly, the drums come in with a forbidden beat, a nod to the band’s punk roots. This surprise comes along with more energized vocals and jangly guitars, and the band keeps the energy up for the entire three minutes before moving into random noises leading into the next song “(If You Want It)”. Utilizing the same piano riff and vocal melodies as the previous song, the punk elements are dropped out and we are given a heartbreaking variation on the previous song’s view of a breakup. Theissen so meekly and penitently sings, “I still burn from time to time but I've a healing hand against my side,”and it is hard to not feel the same emotions Relient K’s master songwriter is feeling.
The typical complaint about Relient K, that they are too busy being cheesy and overtly Christian, are totally void on this album, where they are finally able to rein in their less desirable elements. Forget and Not Slow Down is an album by a band in its prime. They have finally grown into their potential, crafting a well-developed album of the kind of pop-rock that will likely go down as timeless. The inner church youth group kid certainly misses the Relient K who used to sing cute pop-punk songs about Thundercats and Marilyn Manson, but the grown up version of that same kid is glad that Relient K was able to grow up alongside him. Forget and Not Slow Down, with its more mature and streamlined but varied and tastefully playful songwriting, is the album that beautifully and perfectly displays the culmination of the coming-of-age journey that Relient K has traversed throughout their career.
--Stephen Harris
Comments
Los Angeles
Looking forward to listening to this. Band matures (for the most part) with every release. Was worried as to whether that could keep up that constant maturity, and this review has definitely made it clear that they have. I'm sure this will still get flack just because they are a christian band. Oh well.
San Jose, CA
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Minnesota
Agree agree agree.
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Los Angeles
What makes this album bad enough to get one half of a star?
San Jose, CA
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Baton Rouge
Whatever. This is a great album. Who else in this genre has put out anything better lately?
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Atascadero, CA
very solid pop album. not my most favorite sound but i can definitely appreciate what this band continues to bring to the table. definitely getting better and better with each album even though some of their older material i may have enjoyed a bit more, their song writing this time around is top notch.
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Dubuque
I didn't like this as much as their last album. Didn't have that "catchiness" to it.
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