Customer Reviews

Apathetic

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This EP is excellent. If you like anything Relient K has done before, you will dig this. I won't go into detail about all of the songs, because lots of others already have, and trust me, they're all winners. I will, however, address something that reviewer Brandon M. Londo brought up. First of all, the price. Relient K has absolutely nothing to do with setting the price for any of their releases. For the most part, this is up to the particular retail chain. Of course, they are now on Capitol Records, which is a major label and Capitol is going to get paid one way or another. I don't think that Relient K has let fame go to their heads at all. In fact, it shows how much they care about their fans by releasing new music almost every year. Some bands don't release a new record for five years and their fans almost forget about them. I digress. This is just the latest on a list of great EPs that RK has put out over the years such as the Creepy EP and the Employee of the Month EP. Also check out out their Christmas record, Deck the Halls, Bruise Your Hand. It's pretty sweet as well.

I've been a big fan of Relient K from the very beginning. These guys hail from Canton, Ohio. Being from Ohio myself, you tend to here about local bands from the area on the rise. These guys stared on Christian radio, and only got limited play. Album by album, these guys have managed to escalate into the mainstream. It has been fun to see these guys mature over the years, and they have developed into an amazing band. This election day, they released the "Apathetic EP", which is the first music we've heard from them since last election day, when "MMHMM" was released.

1. "The Truth" (5/5) - This song is the typical RK sound, and continues with "MMHMM"-style lyrics about how we tend to ignore the painfully obvious truth at times.

2. "Apathetic Way To Be" (5/5) - This has been out for a while now. However this is the first time it has been released on a cd. This also has the typical Relient K sound that fans are used to. The song addresses the apathetic attitude we all struggle with at some point or another.

3. "Be My Escape (Acoustic)" (4/5) - Good stuff, but it doesn't quite do the original justice. It's definately worth a listen though. This song is about how we dig our own holes time after time, and we can and have to rely on God to bail us out every time.

4. "Which To Bury, Us or the Hatchet (Acoustic)" (5/5) - This song isn't as good as the original, but it is still a very good piece of work. This song deals with rocky friendships.

5. "Overthinking (Acoustic)" (5/5) - This song is possibly even better than the original (and that's saying a lot). The way it is put together just seems more memorable to me. The interpretation to this seems to be somewhat open-ended, but mine is that Matt is singing about a girlfriend scenerio that was never meant to be. Some good writing though.

6. "In Like a Lion (Always Winter)" (5/5) - This is by far my favorite song on the EP. I have never seen Matt write such beautiful lyrics. It is much slower, and takes the same feel as "Let It All Out" or "When I Go Down." The ballad is about the winter season. The insert says that the song was inspired by the book, "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis.

7. "The Theif" (4/5) - On the first listen, this song almost blends into the previous track. But after a few listens, it begins to stand out from the previous track. Musically, this song is headed in the exact same direction as "Let It All Out." It's another piano ballad, and a shorter one at that, timing out at 2:22 minutes. But it is still a very good song, and is definately worth listening to. Lyrically, this song isn't too specific, and can lead the listener to a couple different conclusions.

Overall, this new EP is a great extention of "MMHMM", and gives the fans something to enjoy until their next full length album. Some fans of the old Relient K may be disappointed, but fans of "MMHMM" will love it. I highly suggest picking up a copy.

I was very much looking forward to receiving and hearing the Apathetic EP from Relient K, and I haven't been disappointed. The EP is the acoustic side of RK for the most part except perhaps Track 1, "The Truth" and Apathetic Way to Be kind of bridges the gap between traditional RK rock and their acoustic sound. I have the cd in my player now, and I haven't wanted to take it out all week! Track 1, "The Truth" and Track 6, "In Like A Lion (Always Winter) are the clear favorites, but the entire ep is engaging. The Truth is contagious, and deals with the issue of doubt, something most people of faith can relate to. In Like A Lion, obviously inspired by Narnia is absolutely beautiful and haunting and I find myself wanting to hit the repeat button over and over again. They should have definitely put it in the movie soundtrack! Someone missed the boat on that one.

The acoustic remakes are also very well done, and the banjo on Be My Escape is amazing.

If you like Relient K and Matthew Thiessen & the Earthquakes, you will definitely love this ep.

--Melanie

Let me first say that I love Relient K. They are incredible musicians. I love all of their music. If I were to rate the content of this album...I would definitely give it 5 stars. They did a fantastic job with the "unplugged" versions of their "Mmhmm" and "Two Lefts..." songs. But I have to go along with a previous reviewer who stated that he gave it a bad rating because of production. And that is my reason as well. There is this very high pitch that is on all the tracks, and it is VERY noticeable. At first, I thought my ears were ringing, but then I called my sister in the room and she was like "Yeah...it's ringing." I thought it was my computer, so I played it in the car. Same thing. This production is horrible, and I'm amazed that they would sell an album this horrible. The high pitch is just very distracting, and instead of listening to the actual music content, I find myself bothered by the high pitch. But, I will buy the next album from Relient K. And the next. But two more strikes, and they are out.

This cd starts out with "The Truth", a great song with awesome fast and screaming guitar riffs and superb vocals by Matt Theissan. His voice and musicianship is getting better with each appearance. Then, "Apathetic Way To Be", Dave Douglas their drummer sings lead while Matt proves his lyrical brilliance with his play on words: "The half of me is all about apathy, and the other half just doesn't care. Yeah, being apathetic's a pathetic way to be." After showing that they can truly rock they give us 3 acoustic versions of three hits: Be My Escape, Which To Bury, Us Or The Hatchet?, and Overthinking. They finish with 2 soft songs that I have come to love. Things are looking insanely awesome if they keep this up for their next album due on March 6th, 2007

One word: AMAZING! This EP includes 3 acoustic versions of previously recorded Relient K songs; they're all wonderful, but I have to say the one that improved most as an acoustic song is "Over Thinking." Additionally, there are 4 brand new songs that are simply fantastic. Critics will say what they want about the boys "going secular," but I'd like to hear them interpret what "The Truth" can possibly be about if not about the search for God. "Apathetic Way to Be," which was previously only available on the vinyl version of MMHMM, exhibits the clever wordplay and tongue in cheek humor that characterizes Relient K. I am personally convinced that "In Like a Lion (Always Winter)" was actually supposed to be on the soundtrack for The Chronicles of Narnia movie and was kept out due to record company politics, but that's just my own speculation, so don't go passing that around! This song has to be the best track on the album. The music is very soothing and melodic, yet somehow driving; the effect is altogether very powerful. This song also demonstrates Matt Thiessen's lyrical prowess; who can honestly say they didn't tear up at the final chorus, when he says "Sometimes it feels like You're not with us / But deep inside our hearts we know / That You are here / And we will not lose hope"? "The Thief" is reminiscent of Matt's side project Matt Thiessen and the Earthquakes; for all I know, it IS one of their songs, but now done by RK. Whatever the case, it's very beautiful, though a somewhat depressing note to end the EP on. Altogether a good buy!

The reason I love this CD is because it has the song "The Truth" on it, which not only sounds cool, but also has a great message in the lyrics. The song "Apathetic Way to Be" is a lot of fun too, but I can't really listen to this CD by itself because it is just so short. Total length for the whole CD is 23:40.
I really liked the idea of Relient K acoustic songs and had thought it would be nice for them to make an acoustic CD. They haven't done that yet, but this CD makes an attempt by releasing three acoustic tracks. They're all pretty good but they're quite different from what you normally expect from Relient K. I'm excited about them but my little sister could have cared less, and she loves relient K too.
A true fan would not be satisfied without this CD, but to someone who is just looking for some more cool Relient K style songs I'd suggest you just download "The Truth" and "Apathetic Way to Be" from itunes. You'd get a better buy for your money that way.

This is probably the best ep ever. Amazing sound, and amazing messages. I can't stand that their new cd Five Score and Seven years ago comes out in March. Way too long of a wait.
timshank

Apathetic EP is a new form of Relient K previously unheard. From the driving punk beats of The Truth (which reminds the listener of that good old RK classic, Chapstick) to the super mellow ballad of The Thief, this EP tops the charts in my book. The acoustic covers are incredible and the new Overthinking is better than the original. RK, you guys don't know your own talent! Can't wait to hear "Five Score and Seven Years Ago."

Relient K delivers another tantalizing in-between-albums EP, this one based around two fast-paced songs ("The Truth" and "Apathetic Way to Be") that deliver a bit of classic rk punk rock with a pinch of satirical wit.

The rest of the album offers three acoustic renderings of previously released songs, including a fresh and interesting look at "Overthinking", off their album "Two lefts don't make a right...but three do". The last two tracks are brand-new piano-based compositions, reminiscent of some material on Relient K's "Deck the Halls, Bruise Your Hand" Christmas EP of last year.

The 5 acoustic tracks are not your typical relient k, but they are effective in displaying the varied talents of the band. Whether you like these tracks or not (and I do), the two opening tracks make this EP worth your while and your moneys.

-smitty