PERFECT BLEND OF ORIGINALS AND RARITIES

Hard to believe it’s been a decade. And I certainly never figured they’d last this long. The maturation of Relient K from its childish, gimmicky (yet completely valid) tongue-in-cheek delivery toward intelligent modern rock territory has caused most original critics to place foot-in-mouth, myself included. The band’s discography has charted such impressive growth that Five Score’s Top 6 Billboard debut wasn’t that surprising.

So to celebrate the last 10 years, Gotee is releasing The Bird and the Bee Sides—a 26-track mega-release of new material and rarities featuring both the laugh- and thought-provoking. Did you expect anything different? Each member takes turns with the songwriting and vocals on the disc’s first half, which is where 13 all-new originals are found.

Vocalist Matt Thiessen’s “At Least We Made It This Far” stands as the clear highlight and seems to serve as foreshadowing (hopefully) for a future side project. Bassist John Warne’s “The Last, The Lost, The Least” is a solid fist-raising anthem a la Sherwood, and “No Reaction” goes lo-fi, ska-influenced punk. “Curl Up And Die” features a perfect string arrangement to appropriately back the acoustic tune, while “There Was Another Time In My Life” continues the serious side on a beautiful piano number.

But Relient K certainly knows how to lighten the mood, and those tracks are plentiful here. “Bee Your Man” is predictably silly, maybe too silly with Taco Bell references included. The same can largely be said of “A Penny Loafer Saved Is A Penny Loafer Earned.” With all involved, it’s an overwhelming project, but one deserving of your dollars. These are more than just throwaway tunes; instead, the album is a fan’s dream before the next Relient K studio project releases.

–Matt Conner