Review

Relient K shows off their penitence on their new album Mmhmm, a collection of pop-punk Christian songs that has enough variety for the hard-core pop-punk band fans to those who enjoy a bit of the Gospel's philosophy in their music.

On Mmhmm, Relient K exhibit a tenderness for pop-punk – they're funny, but they're sensitive too. Singer Matthew Thiessen sings with his Christian heart on his sleeve, but it's not bold or loud – just there. It's also impressive how Thiessen and band mates Matthew Hoopes (guitar), David Douglas (drums), and Brian Pittman (bass) keep the passion going through the fast, spunky songs and in the gentle ballads.

From their self-titled 2000 release, their sophomore album, The Anatomy of the Tongue and Cheek, and the Billboard Top 200-charting Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...But Three Do, Relient K has crafted their humor and songwriting skills in impressive ways.

"The One I'm Waiting For" is a staccato opener, filled with the shout-out-loud energy Relient K keeps consistent, even when they break it down. On "The One..." Thiessen laments for the girl that can "Break a heart / It's like a work of art / And this is the worst part / She knows it."

From the boppy "High of 75," which includes a low-key but well-placed bit of drum loop, to the 1:13 "The Only Thing Worse Than Beating A Dead Horse Is Betting On One," where the band finds the empty promises of politics equal to the gravity that "still makes us fall," Relient K find little nuggets of ingenuity to raise their songs from simple guitar/bass/drum combos. The added production values tell of a band that is betting on its own horse.

A flowing piano opens the heartfelt "Let It All Out," while the dynamics of "Life After Death & Taxes" takes us through a subtle acknowledgment that this life isn't all we have. It's another smart, quiet piece of praise that you might miss because of it's other carpe diem aspects: "And this is how I chose to live / As if I'm jumping off a cliff / Knowing that you'll save me."

The ballad and finisher "When I Go Down" is a touching, rich song that makes more use of the production apparent on this album. Mmhmm touches on the powerlessness of humans in a corrupt world, and expresses the hope of a life to come. Relient K do it with class, energy, and quality.

Review by Dave Lawrence

3 out of 5