It has finally arrived.  I bought the new Relient K album on Tuesday and I've listened to pretty much nothing else since.  This newest effort from my favourite band deserves some examination and I figured that this was the perfect place to do so.  So let us begin....

1)Plead the Fifth- This song is done a cappella and is about a conspiracy regarding the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.  It's not my favourite song on the album but it does reflect the talent that the band has in regards to harmonizing

2)Come Right Out and Say it- This is one of the tightest songs on the album.  It's about being honest with one another and telling the truth regardless of the fact that it is going to be hurtful.  It's catchy and will get stuck in your head for long periods of time.  I wouldn't be surprised if this became their next single.

3)I Need You- This is one of the heavier songs on the album.  I'm not 100% crazy about it after hearing it about a dozen times but it still shows how tight the band's music is these days compared to their previous albums.

4)The Best Thing- This is by far my favourite song on the album.  Matt T wrote it about the relationship he is in and to be perfectly honest, if a guy wrote it for me I'd probably want to marry him as soon as I heard it.  My favourite line in the song is "when I looked into your eyes/and you dared to stare right back/you should have said/nice to meet you, I'm your other half."  This song basically puts you in a great mood and you will be singing it all day long.

5)Forgiven- Another fantastic song.  It's a darker song but it's all about redemption and how we all do things wrong but in the end, God will forgiven.  Thiessen really knows how to knock you off your feet with a song and this one does exactly that.

6)Must Have Done Something Right- This song used to be one of my favourites on the album but because it's been overplayed now, I have a hard time listening to it.  That being said, it really is a great song filled with the witty lyrics of Thiessen and great musicianship in general from the band.

7)Give Until There's Nothing Left- This song brings the album to a softer level for a moment filled with the most beautiful harmonies and self realization.  This song fills your heart with an emotion that has no real name.  It just fills your heart.

8)Devastation & Reform- This song is pure adrenaline for me.  It's the kind of song that you can picture being sung in a stadium/arena.  It's almost like I can feel the bass line pulsing through my body and the only other time I've felt that was when I was at the Death Cab/Franz concert last year.  My favourite lyric is ^{"Usually I'll cause my own first hit/ It seems to me to be slightly masochistic."}

9)I'm Taking You With Me- This song is another excellent one.  Once again, it is about Matt's relationship with his girlfriend and it's all about not wanting to leave the one you love.  It's a rather sweet song that once again will get stuck in your head and never leave you.

10)Faking My Own Suicide- Despite the rather morbid title, this is a fun song about a guy who fakes his suicide in order to get the girl he loves to admit her feelings for him.  Thiessen based it off his favourite movie, Harold & Maude (which everyone should check out because it's amazing) which is about a boy who fakes his suicide to get his mother's attention.  This song takes on a different approach and is more of a folky sound.  As a fan of folk music, I must admit that I love it.  It's absolutely perfect.

11)Crayons Can Melt on Us for All I Care- The famous silly side of Relient K becomes apparent with this song.  There really isn't much else to say in regards to this track as I don't want to ruin anything.

12)Bite My Tongue- Another song that is on my list of favourites.  I feel like I can understand where Thiessen came from when writing this album because I know that I say the one thing I shouldn't say when I really should just bite my tongue.  The sharp listener will pick up on what Thiessen says, continuing on with his witty lyrics that are more relevant than the average listener believes.  Lyrics that jumped out at me are

"I said I'm always close-minded/ With an open mouth/ And the worst of me/ Seems to come right out/ But I've never broken bones/ Wth a stone or a stick/ But I've conjured up a phrase/ That can cut to the quick."

13)Up and Up- This song is another one that remains with you for the day.  I can't really find any fault with this song.  At all.  It's great.

14)Deathbed- This is Matt Thiessen's masterpiece.  It's an 11 minute song that tells the story of a man who is dying from lung cancer and how he makes his peace with God as he takes his last breath.  As you travel through this man's life, you laugh with him, you cry with him, and you cringe at the fact that you've made the same mistakes as he did.  It's about realizing that you need to change your life and start living the way that God would want you to live.  Every possible instrument that could be played by the band is played in this song.  I don't think that I will ever hear another song quite like this one.  It is also of importance to note that Jon Foreman from Switchfoot does a bit of vocals for this song.  He sings as the voice of Jesus. 

Overall, this is one of the best albums I have ever bought and I'm going to give it a 5/5.  I might be a little biased but it really is that fantastic of an album.  If you are a big fan of the band, I recommend the deluxe edition of the album because it comes with a dvd of an acoustic set as well as the "making of" and the video of "Must Have Done Something Right."