Customer Reviews

Forget And Not Slow Down (Amazon Exclusive Version)

5 star:		(82)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The easiest way to say this is that Forget and Not Slow Down is essentially a break up album. For those of you who heard their less than perfect previous outing, Five Score and Seven Years Ago, the band took a complete one-eighty after recording a record that was essentially about being in love (i.e. "I always knew I'd find someone. I never dreamt it'd be like this, cause you've surpassed all that I'd hoped for and ever wished"). And it's common knowledge amongst the group's core fans that frontman Matt Thiessen went through a break-up with his ex-fiance before writing began; thus, it had a lot of impact on the new record. It's a sad record, it will make you think, it may even make you cry, but relient K shows that there is still hope and that moving on is possible. Relient K has always been known for their fun pop punk sound mixed with Thiessen's witty lyrics. But instead of a pop punk album, Relient K crafted a solid rock album chock full of their pop-minded hooks. Keep in mind this is also their first full-length without longtime drummer/vocalist, Dave Douglas; though last summer's The Nashville Tennis - EP is their first release without Douglas and first with new drummer Ethan Luck (Check out his old bands The O.C. Supertones and Demon Hunter for those not in tune...Heck, check out John Warne's Ace Troubleshooter while you're at it). Adding to the list of firsts, it is the band's first release on Gotee imprint, Mono vs. Stereo with distribution being handled by the folks at Jive (Relient K and Backstreet Boys are on the same label. Amazing.) The album is the band's most mature effort, sonically and lyrically. Gone is the straight pop punk sound found on albums like Mmhmm and Two Lefts Don't Make a Right... But Three Do, yet you may still find a couple pop culture references (i.e. Part of It, Candlelight). Fans of the band's older material may not like it at first, yet if you loved anything on Nashville - I'm looking at you, The Lining Is Silver - than you will find something to love on here, if you really loved it, check out Over It. It sounds like it could have been a Nashville b-side.

On each of Relient K's now 6 albums, each track had a similar sound (not they all sounded the same, but there was something about it that made them go together) to the others which made them mesh well and the album seem like an album. The band one-ups themselves with this new record: not only do the songs sound well together, the songs go together. The album runs at 15 tracks and about 43 minutes long. However in between a few tracks are some intros and outros. When I first saw the album's tracklisting, I assumed all the intros and outros would be instrumentals and I was already really interested in hearing them. The interludes are an introduction to the proceeding song or a continuation of the previous, often featuring the same lyrics and melody. That alone made the intros and outros one of my favorite parts about the album; it's all killer, no filler. It makes the album flow and truly makes Forget and Not Slow Down a cohesive album. It's best listened to as a whole, rather than single songs.

The album starts off with the title track - a first for the band, not including the Mmhmm hidden track (rewind the cd to before The One I'm Waiting For, or listen to 2:10-2:29 of My Girl's Ex-Boyfriend). Right from the start, you can see that this is an album about moving on or moving past the past where you have failed (you weren't expecting that, were you?). Thiessen sings "I'd rather forget and not slow down, than gather regret for the things I can't change now...." With perfect placement on the album, the lead single sets the mood for the rest of the album. The combination of Candlelight and Flare kicks off the first set of song + interlude. Thiessen's clever wordplay is still alive with him singing in the chorus, "Can't hold a candle to her, cause all the moth's get in the way. And they begin to chew her entire attire until it frays...". The song also delivers one of my favorite vocal performances by Thiessen on any relient K recording. Diving deeper into the album, you will find a track unlike anything the band has done before in Sahara. The track that precedes this - Over It - ends with the sound of a door opening into the beginning of Sahara (For those of you that don't know, I'm a sucker for the sound of a door swinging on any album). The track is the "rockiest" on the album, with some of Thiessen's roughest vocals and spot on guest spots (pun was not intended) from The Classic Crime's Matt MacDonald, House of Heroes' Tim Skipper, and Underoath/The Almost's Aaron Gillespie. Simply put, the track sounds like a House of Heroes song a la The End Is Not the End on steroids with Matt Thiessen in charge of the lead vocal duties. This song is sure to become a fan favorite live for years to come, if only they would add it to the set list. Saving the last two tracks for last (last three are my favorites), This Is the End and (If You Want It) are really two halves of a song split in two. The two songs share several lines of lyrics with This Is the End being the heavier of the two. Often times, and I found this happening to me, listeners will forget that these are two separate tracks. Thiessen's vocals at the end of This Is the End really show the pain, urgency, and emotion Thiessen has experienced, with him losing breath and voice cracking. This is my single favorite moment of the album. The two songs bring together everything that the album is, creating relient K's best closing song(s) to date. Or songs that will rival When I Go Down and Deathbed.

Working with longtime producer Mark Lee Townsend, the band - guitarists Matt Hoopes, Jon Schneck, bassist John Warne, Luck, and Thiessen - produce their best performances of their careers. Thiessen spent a great deal of time secluded in a lake house writing the bulk of lyrics for the album, Therapy being the first song written. Thiessen compares his songwriting to prayer stating "Songwriting and praying are kind of synonymous for me. You're using your heart, you're using your brain, you're collecting your thoughts, inner emotions, and putting them all together, and you're saying, `Where does this all fit into my life?'" In seclusion from the other people and the band, Thiessen was able to find solitude in writing and being alone. The album is the most organic effort by the band next to it's precursor, The Nashville Tennis - EP. Thiessen was sick through much of the recording process which account for a few rough vocal performances (i.e. Sahara) as well as much of the vocals being recorded live. With the best vocal performances by Matt and Co., a few instances of guitar-work reminiscent of the latest Thrice album (Do yourself a favor and check out 2009's other best album, Beggars), and some of Thiessen's best lyrical output (you'll find plenty of great one-liners and more), the band have released their best album to date. And a very relatable one at that.

Relient K has always been musically and lyrically witty and intelligent, and this new album is no exception. The album consists entirely of breakup songs, which I personally appreciate very much, as I recently went through a breakup. The music is fun and diverse while maintaining continuity and sticking to Relient K's signature style, and the lyrics are very insightful and thoughtful.

This song is stuck in my head. I never write reviews, but I figure a song that's this catchy deserves one.

Also, you can stream the full "Forget and Not Slow Down" album from Absolute Punk right now. Warning: you may need a helmet because it's about to BLOW YOUR MIND.

Relient K has yet to disappoint me. I've purchased all of their albums over the years, and I'm in love with every single song. Forget And Not Slow Down is no different. Trust me, it's worth it. It always has been.

If you know anything at all about Relient K, you would certainly know about their witty and occasionally outlandish lyrics and punk rock-like sound. They've been about as innocent as can be all throughout their career, but never afraid to admit to personal faults and painful mistakes. The band's sixth and latest album, Forget and Not Slow Down, finds Matt Thiessen and the group in a very different place than they've ever been before, both musically and lyrically, for a record that's all about perspective... and making a sound as catchy as humanly possible.

I think it's only fair to get this fact out of the way before going any further: Forget and Not Slow Down is a breakup album. Apparently, Matt Thiessen (the band's lead singer) broke up with his fiancé sometime between when he wrote the band's previous record and this one. Many of the songs on Forget represent what he went through, so the context is certainly helpful in interpreting his lyrics. But what makes this album unique is that it's not about wallowing in self-pity for the pains of the breakup: it's all about perspective, and realizing that "Without you I'm still whole, you and life remain beautiful," and "If a nightmare ever does unfold, perspective is a lovely hand to hold."

What's also so fantastic about the album's lyrics is how they can easily apply to just about any rough situation in life. There are songs about moving on despite a shameful past ("Forget and Not Slow Down"), putting difficult issues in perspective ("Part Of It"), and realizing that pride is most likely the cause the fall ("Sahara"). The clever songwriting makes all of these songs memorable and easy to relate to even if you've never even been in a romantic relationship, which makes this record all the more personal and brilliant.

There are lyrical highlights that must be specifically mentioned, too. The title track is pretty much the "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been" of the record, as Thiessen sings "I could spend my life just trying to sift through what I could've done better but what good do what-ifs do?" It's an encouraging song like no other that the band has written, because it's a powerful reminder that despite past mistakes, you can and should seek forgiveness and reconciliation and continue moving forward in life. "Sahara" is a potent metaphor about how pride comes before a fall as depicted by a lion that has apparently lost his throne ("Was it the lying or the pride that brought him down?"). "Part Of It" puts things in perspective by remembering that we are all a part of something greater than ourselves, "Therapy" is a refreshing reminder to seek direction from God, and "If You Believe Me" seems to encourage submission to the truth, no matter how difficult it may be ("If you believe me, it means you have to disbelieve yourself.")

Musically, Forget is quite noticeably different than other works from Relient K. The guitars sound especially organic, making each song sound wonderfully alive. A heavier emphasis is also placed on the piano, especially in the catchy "I Don't Need a Soul" and the powerful, moving second half of the album closer "This Is The End (If You Want It)." Most of the songs are outrageously catchy in some way, whether it be the epic harmonies in the bridge on "Sahara" (featuring some phenomenal guest vocals from Matt MacDonald (The Classic Crime), Tim Skipper (House of Heroes), and Aaron Gillespie (The Almost)), the delightfully entertaining "Candlelight," or the plentiful acoustic guitar picking of "Savannah." And then there's "Over It," which may be the album's weakest track, but successfully employs some of the types of sound that made the band's unique Nashville Tennis EP (better known as the first half of The Bird and the Bee Sides) so successful. Musically, Forget is easily Relient K's strongest work yet because they have found a way to be catchier than ever while also making a sound that really comes alive.

At the end of it all, Forget and Not Slow Down proves to be a simply fantastic album from a band that already has a great track record. In my opinion it's the best work from Relient K to date for the life and catchiness of the music and personal yet relatable lyrics. It's sad that it took such a difficult situation in Thiessen's life to bring about this record, but I think it's safe to say that God uses heartbreak and sorrow to give us a new perspective that comes closer to matching His perfect view, because perspective is indeed a lovely hand to hold. I'm thankful that God has gifted these musicians to write songs like these that make me consider how to seek out His direction and perspective on all of life's trials.

Score: 5/5

Such a good record. Love the guest vocals on Sahara among others. Definitely their best record. Dark yet hopeful. Buy it!

Relient K has been through a lot in the time leading up to the release of their sixth studio album Forget and Not Slow Down. After releasing their fifth album in seven years, the cleverly titled Five Score and Seven Years Ago, the band found themselves dropped by Capitol Records, so they resurrected and took over indie label Mono vs. Stereo (Forget and Not Slow Down is their first album for the newly minted label). Long-time drummer Dave Douglas left the band to focus on his band Gypsy Parade and was replaced by Ethan Luck (formerly of Project 86, The OC Supertones, and Demon Hunter), and principal songwriter/lead singer Matt Thiessen broke up with his fiancee in late 2008.

All of these events have a bearing on the lyrical content of Relient K's sixth studio album. Although many people might look as Relient K as an emo band (a title I can't abide by, having been a fan of the band since their self-titled debut), they maintain a much lighter disposition than many of their peers. Concerning adversity, Matt Theissen sings: "I'd rather forget and not slow down/ Than gather regret for the things I can't change now/ If I become what I can't accept/ Resurrect the saint from within the wretch/ Pour over me and my hands of it." It's a pleasure to find a band that can express such a positive outlook without sounding cheesy.

That doesn't mean that Thiessen doesn't experience doubt our frustration. In the song "Sahara" he equates his feelings to dying of thirst in the desert. Here we see some of the clever wordplay that we've come to love from Relient K: "A Lion on his side was it the lying/ Or his pride which brought him down/ Once the king of beasts but now they feast/ On the thoughts beneath his vacant crown." However, this heavy and sullen track is followed by "Savannah", a song that expresses hope once again. Lyrically-speaking, Forget is an album about moving forward through personal adversity while maintaining a sunny outlook on life.

A lot of people were left dissatisfied with Relient K's previous effort (Five Score), finding it to be mired in pop-punk derivativeness and an abandonement of the elements that made Relient K a powerhouse of the genre (the exception being the brilliant "Deathbed" -- if you haven't heard it I highly recommend you download that track). Now freed from the shackles of a major label, Relient K have found themselves revived musically. Here they abandon most of the pop-punk artifice in favor of a more straightforward rock-n-roll style, with some more contemplative songs similar to those found on the double EP The Tennis EP/The Birds and the Bee Sides.

Matt Thiessen is a master of song arrangement, as we know from previous work like the aforementioned "Deathbed" and Relient K's version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" from Deck the Halls, Bruise Your Hand. He displays this talent again in Forget and Not Slow Down. Moving effortlessly from hard and heavy to soft and easy within the same song, his style of rock/punk can almost sound progressive at times. In one case he extends one song over two tracks, taking "This is the End", a punk-styled song, and turning it into a piano-fueled, contemplative number on the following track ("If You Want It").

After the more derivative mmhmm and Five Score and Seven Years Ago, it's a more than welcome pleasure to see Relient K back and stretching their legs in new ways musically. In my opinion this is their best album yet, and if you like pop punk or rock I highly recommend you give this album a try. Also, if you decide to download this album on Amazon, as an added bonus you get the exclusive track Terminals, a great add on to a perfect album!

I've been a Relient K fan since their first album. That said, I couldn't get into this album and don't know how it has such rave reviews. To me it lacked the creativity, and the fun of other albums. The abundant mello sound just blobs every song together, no punchy, catchy riffs, much less backing vocals, and no cool solos like other albums. Even the non-mello songs seem to plateau. I feel that MMHMM was apex of their ability. Whether or not you liked the album I think they perfected their pop-punk sound, included cheeky, fun songs that their known for, and it just ran together as a concept. I miss their old drummer (Dave) Even though I like Ethan Luck his drumming just seems forgettable and doesn't stand out from every other mediocre drummer. In his defense he didn't have a lot to work with. I listened to older albums and they are so much more talented than this. Don't get me wrong, I'm for bands looking for a new sound, but it doesn't work for me like their other stuff. Only a couple songs I'd really listen to. Maybe I need to give it more time.

I've been a fan of Relient K since their first album. Their previous release (Five Score...) irritated me a little; not because of the musical style but because of the dreamy, super happy songs that seemed like they needed a little dose of reality.

I would never wish a bad breakup on anyone (I've gone through one myself) but it seems Matt got a little reality handed to him and handled it with humility and faith. It really shows on this album. I found myself comforted and moved by the music, which is not something I thought I would ever say about this band.

This is a collection of beautiful song-writing and organic instrumentals. Matt stated in an interview that he deliberately did not use any synthesizers or MIDI on this record. This gives it a very pure feel that goes well with the lyrical mood.

The only song that I don't "get" is Sahara but it might start to take after a few more listens. I still can't justify giving this album any fewer than 5 stars. Buy it now!

Relient K's new album "Forget And Not Slow Down" is their first project since taking helm of their newly revived record label, Mono Vs. Stereo. Since 2000 they've released five full-length albums (three are certified Gold), five EPs and a Christmas record. They have toured the globe, and racked up several hit singles, a Grammy nomination and two Dove Awards. Title track "Forget And Not Slow Down" is the best new Relient K song I've heard since "Be My Escape" from my previous favorite Relient K album, 2004's "MmHmm". I love the band Death Cab for Cutie and if you liked "Plans" by Death Cab for Cutie then you need to hear "Forget And Not Slow Down".

To prep for "Forget And Not Slow Down", Thiessen retreated to a remote house in Winchester, Tenn. in isolation for several months writing material for the new record. During his sojourn, Thiessen stayed in constant contact with Hoopes and the rest of the band - drummer Ethan Luck, bassist John Warne and guitarist Jon Schneck - sharing song ideas and mapping out a direction for the album. For Thiessen, the solitary creative process was a lot like prayer. "Songwriting and praying are kind of synonymous for me," he says. "You're using your heart, you're using your brain, you're collecting your thoughts, inner emotions, and putting them all together, and you're saying, `Where does this all fit into my life?'"

The results of that songwriting effort are evident as I was hooked from the opening notes of "Forget And Not Slow Down" right to the end of "This Is The End" (If You Want It)". The album is truly a musical and lyrical journey and as a fan of emotional style rock like Death Cab for Cutie, Jimmy Eat World and Dashboard Confessional, this hook-filled album really works for me. In fact, Matt Thiessen's vocals remind me of Ben Gibbard's vocal style on this album. Some other stand-out songs for me are "I Don't Need A Soul", "Candlelight", "Part Of It", "Therapy", "Savannah", "If You Believe Me" and "This Is The End" (If You Want It)".

This album is now my favorite overall album by Relient K and one of my top 10 overall albums of 2009. Every song is catchy and flavored with Relient K's signature pop-punk sound, and for me "Forget And Not Slow Down" tops all of their previous albums and reflects the maturity and polish of a band that has found their niche and is Relient K's crowning achievement in my opinion.