yodadawg's Full Review: The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek by Relient K
I remember hearing the song Sadie Hawkins dance one day...and I also remember hating it. Then I gave it some more plays and it grew on......I wish that this cd was like that. Reliant K's The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek is fairly amusing for the first listen but quickly tires and runs out of steam about halfway through.
For those who haven't heard of them, Reliant K is a christian band, but the twist is that they also happen to be punk (sometimes, but I'll get into that later). So, since I generally find most comtemporary christian music boring and too "pop"-ish, I decided to try this album out. Soon I found out that they are a top rate christian band, mainly because of the application of the lyrics, but that when compared to more mainstream punk bands, most not christian, they can barely hold a candle to 'em.
First off, do not get confused with this album. Although the first few songs don't appear to have any Christian lyrics, the cd quickly enters the realm of contemporary christian. This turns out to be both a curse and a blessing.
*Warning*...this review centers more on the music, application, and fun I had listening to this album than it's message. Just because Reliant K is a Christian group doesn't automatically make them a great band.
The first three songs are easily the most enjoyable parts of the album. They come out loud and fast, like any good punk, and are light in tone. The second song happens to be the best on the cd, followed by the weird and strangely exciting Sadie Hawkins dance, which is out of place on this album, but is a nice distraction.
Soon, though, the christian parts starting coming out, and the cd begins to slow down. A lot. I'm all for a good message in music, but Reliant K appears to be afraid to push pop-punk at all when dealing with God and other Biblical subjects. They become soft and don't know how to handle these subjects with the same light-heartedness, tongue in cheek, wit, and most of all intensity of the first few tracks. Most of the christian songs, sad to say, sound like mediocre pop-punk that hangs along way too long and doesn't know what to do with it's message.
When compared to other punk bands of high-caliber, Reliant K just doesn't make the cut. Sum 41's wit, clever lyrics, and general fun sound great; Blink 182 also hits more than it misses and always knows when to end a song; even Simple Plan can beat most of this stuff; and sadly, Good Charlotte is even above Reliant K.
But to be fair, if you like contemporary christian, this is right down you're alley. The message in most of the songs is good, although sometimes a bit creepy. Lots of acoustic guitar and some decent melodies are here. Right now, they are tops in mainstream contemporary christian. Too bad there's not much competition, and too bad most contemporary christian gets boring pretty quickly, rehashing the same ideas in each song (this occurs some on Anatomy, but only towards the end).
In the end, if you like punk, get Sum 41 or Simple Plan before this. This album definitely won't change anyone's mind about whether Christian nowadays can be fun and not just a sadness-fest (listen to some fast gospel to have your mind changed....best stuff out there!). But if you really like Christian, this is a must buy. But by not taking chances and playing it safe, Reliant K alienates much of what is a vast and willing audience....those that like punk and want some good punk with a good message.
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