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Trailers & Lake Houses, or Serenity and Inspiration Intertwined | Posted October 12, 2009
After 10 years of mostly solid albums, surely it must be time for a least some type of a fluke, right? While there is some jarring changes in the album, this is Relient K, they NEVER disappoint! Relient K is also like Tiger Woods in that they are constantly refining themselves, but this time it seems there is the tale of two albums.
Highlights Include:
Forget And Not Slow Down
Part of It
Savannah
If You Believe Me
This Is The End (If You Want It)
"Forget And Not Slow Down" starts off the album in the solidly rocking effort you've come to expect from the band, and despite my first impressions, it's actually quite catchy. It's a hybrid between the two sounds on this album, and the result is nothing short of amazing.
Tracks 2-10 seem more like an organic version of "Mmhmm," as in they kind of have the same sound, but they're mostly done exceptionally well. This is where most of the outro segments come in, and they work as a cohesive unit to unite the pace/sound of the album, and it works fairly well. Upon first listen, I didn't dig this segment too much, but it's also the type where you really have to sit on it and let it grow on you, because many have argued it contains some of Matt Thiessen's most genius work yet, both lyrically and musically. On that sense, it's also very thoughtful or meditative in a way, even though it ponders mostly on relationships.
Tracks 11-15 are really a scattered shift both musically and tonally that are really differentiated from the rest of the album. This is really defined by "Savannah," which is carried over from an Africa-themed title line preceding it, but is actually a ditty about the quaint Georgia town... Or is it about a girl? Or is it about the African grass? See it's genius. This is only enforced by the great musical buildup, the inspired lyrics, and the sheer pleasantness of it all.
"This Is the End (If You Want It)" is a great little scatterbrained 5-minute epic that although has a rather simple subject, goes from rock to punk, crashes, then burns off slowly in piano form, slowly burning through its rapturing embers. Also, this maybe just me, but it scares me when an album's last track leaves it open for a goodbye, as in the band could break up at any time. So in response to the title I say, 'No, I don't want this to be the end. Keep being brilliant!'
Overall, Forget And Not Slow Down is like a perfectly refrigerated sandwich, it needs time to sit before it's just perfect. It's not exactly what I was expecting from the album, but it all works well together and Matt Thiessen just cements the fact that he is a musical genius, or a pop/rock Bob Dylan if you will. Fans will grow to love, haters will be won over, and all others should check out first before you buy.
Note: If you got the Amazon.com exclusive bonus track "Terminals," then you will find what sounds like a mashup of Relient K and Owl City. It's an acoustic electro dream that's surprisingly solid on its own.
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