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Relient K bills themselves as "sublime, silly, and sacred."  They definitely succeed on the silly and the sacred-­whether or not they achieve the sublime is up to the listener to decide.   Their music can best be described as an amalgamation of punk and pop, their sound like that of Goldfinger crossed with "Weird" Al Yankovic.

Matthew Thiessen (vocals/guitar), Matthew Hoopes (guitar), Brian Pittman (bass), and Dave Douglas (drums) met at tiny Malone College in Canton, Ohio.  The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek shows that they have retained some of the college style of humor, evident in such songs as "Lion-O," "May the Horse be With You," "Maybe it's Maybelline," and my personal favorite of the titles: "Breakfast at Timpani's."   "Sadie Hawkins Dance" is sure to be a hit as well.

Those, along with "Kick Off," help to comprise the silly.  Here are the lyrics to "Kick Off," in their entirety:

Here's the kick-off.
 We hope you're not sick of Relient K, or all the songs we play,
 'Cause then you'll want to throw our CD away.

  Christians, we mourn, the thorn
  is stuck on the side of the body.
  Watch it self-destruct.
  The enemy is much ignored when 
  We fight this Christian civil war.
  We're cannibals.  We watch our brothers fall.
  We eat our own, the bones and all.

Another theme is about those who are ambivalent about God.  "My Way or the Highway" is a plea with those who are sitting on the fence, and tells the listener "It's your decision ­ make the best one."  "The Rest is Up to You" perhaps speaks to the same person, finally explaining that they have talked to them all they can about God, but now they need to choose-­which way are they going to go in life?  The latter features a .38 Special style guitar part.

"Failure to Excommunicate" tells the outcast to take heart, that God loves them no matter how others see them, including those within the church.  "What Have You Been Doing Lately?" mourns those who have received their independence, only to drift away from God.  This should resonate within high school and college students, and well as older listeners who have become complacent.

Vibrant pop definitely geared to the younger crowd, The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek delivers as promised: silly and sacred.  Sublime? You be the judge-­it struck a chord in me.

Brian A. Smith 10/28/2001

The ever-graying borders of musical genres have been blurred once again, this time on Relient Ks sophomore release, The Anatomy of the Tongue and Cheek, an album showing tremendous growth since their debut. 

Easily labeled as a "happy-music punk band" on their self-titled debut, Relient K has kept their fun loving, tongue-in-cheek nature readily available on ...Anatomy..., but has also opted to address some more serious topics with musical styles that refuse to be easily classified as "punk."  Of the fifteen musical tracks (two additional non-musical tracks are reserved for silliness), Relient K runs the gamut of genres---acoustic ballad to all-out rock 'n' roll to piano-driven pop.  And they don't hold back what they're really thinking either. "Down in Flames" speaks of lukewarm Christians characterized as cannibals who eat their own and as pre-occupied airplane passengers, who will one day awaken to see that they're about to crash.  Lead singer and songwriter Matthew Thiessen sings "Christians, we prefer to suck on pacifiers. Baby pacifists, we're throwing fits.  We don't shake hands, we shake our fists."  Thiessen doesn't absolve himself from 'this Christian Civil War," however, as he notes, "I'm a part of the problem, I confess, but I've got to get this off my chest'. . .let's save the world from going down in flames."  What's impressive about Thiessen's songwriting is that he doesn't just expose the problem, he also offers a solution. 

The band takes a stab at legalism and corrupt authorities on 'Failure to Excommunicate," where the person who doesn't "fit into that All-American box" is fitted with a "coffin created for creative thought."   However, Thiessen notes that though the legalist's "gavel's gone down before he looked in your heart . . .Jesus loved the outcasts.  He loves the ones the world just loves to hate."  Thiessen hammers his own nail into the coffin when he sings, "As long as there's a Heaven, there'll be a failure to excommunicate."   

However, the band still knows how to have fun, as is evident on "Breakdown," where Thiessen laments his car breaking down and the humorously titled "Maybe It's Maybeline," a song concerning Christian conflict.  Of course, there are also a few tracks, such as "I'm Lion-O," a throw-back to the old school cartoon series Thundercats, and "May the Horse Be with You," a farce of Mr. Ed and Star Wars, which seem to lack any real point or message and left me more disturbed than amused. 

"For the Moments I Feel Faint" and "Less Is More" reveal the most growth from Relient K.  "Moments" is reminiscent of Green Day's "Time of Your Life" and features an acoustic guitar complimented by a cello, viola, and violin.  The song sports a strong chorus, highlighted by Thiessen singing, "Never underestimate my Jesus. . .when the world around you crumbles, you will be strong, you will be strong." 

"Less Is More" closes the album with a worshipful tone.  Beginning as a quiet, piano melody, it climbs into a Ben Folds Five-ish piano-driven mode that showcases another side to Relient K"s musical arsenal.  The song ends in the same quiet plea that Thiessen began with: "Jesus I plead, please purify me." 

Overall, The Anatomy of the Tongue and Cheek is an impressive album that shows Relient K's ability to employ wit and sarcasm in their music, while addressing touchy subjects in a serious, yet still fun manner.    
    
Matt Williams 11/23/2001