Relient K - Air For Free Album • Page 42

Bad Religion!

Suffer through Recipe for Hate

 

People always say that Don’t Blink and Collapsible Lung are the only good songs but to me Don’t Blink is the only one on par with the rest their discography. The rest of that album is confusing at best and absolutely awful at worst.

They are my absolute, all time favorite band and have impacted my life in massive ways but I’m not shy about saying that CL is an AWFUL album lol. I really feel that the only bad songs they’ve ever released are on that album.

 

Don't Blink and Collapsible Lung are the songs that seem the most like Relient K, but I really enjoy Boomerang, When You Were My Baby, Disaster, and PTL.

 

Joy Electric. The White Songbook through the Dwarf Mountain Alphabet is the greatest 7 album run ever.

 

What's the deal with CL? I've never listened. Why is it so bad?

 

The short answer is the lyrics are absolutely awful throughout most of the album. Like shockingly bad. Cookie-cutter radio pop bad. The band took a very pop direction with the album with a bunch of co-writers which in turns makes the album feel like a different band. Not a bad album, in my opinion, but has some huge flaws.

 

Joy Electric is so good.

 

RIYL?

 

He's working on new music apparently.

All synth pop w/ lyrics that are very fantasy based. Absolutely incredible. RIYL - Fine China, 80's synth, Kraftwerk

 

His cover of I Miss You is amazing as well..

 

I love his melodies so much.

 

Thanks!!

 

Probably Bon Iver in a few years if the Lord wills. Ha.

 

I've genuinely never listened to them.

This is interesting as I've heard Joy Electric a few times way back on T&N samplers - I think around the time when Hello Mannequin came out. I enjoyed those songs but it wasn't really my cup of tea back then. I may revisit them and see if I can handle a whole album in 2019.

Ha, I am not a huge Bon Iver fan either. WHO AM I?

Honestly, this whole question of strong five album streaks has got me scratching my head. There are obviously not many bands that have put out five albums, let alone five strong albums (strong being subjective, so I've tried to go for wider consensus rather than my own preferences). My first go to after you had ruled out Relient K was mewithoutYou, but (although I think it's a good album and has some of my favourite mwY songs) it's all crazy is so polarising it probably rules them out. Anberlin was next but again, New Surrender isn't always appreciated by fans (neither is dark is the way to be honest). Underoath? Norma Jean? They all have albums that people would say are just ok and probably not 'strong enough'. Sufjan Stevens is probably the best shout in my listening library, but depends if you include Christmas and releases under different names (in which case I would rule him out too) and whether you like The Age of Adz style (which I do).

So... I don't have a definitive answer but I did think about it all evening.

 

mewithoutYou was my first thought. Then Copeland, although I don’t know if I love In Motion enough. I agree that it’s All Crazy and NS kind of rule out mwY and Anberlin even though those are two of my all-time favorite bands and I really like those albums.

I could see Sufjan. Michigan through Carrie & Lowell is amazing, but yeah, there are so many other releases in between and Age of Adz might be too polarizing. I think Mew’s discography from Frengers onward is pretty amazing. I could see Thrice too.

 

Yeah, it certainly did click one day with me. His stuff has a super melancholy feel to it that I connect with so strongly. Some of the albums were pretty dark as well, which was very interesting.

 

I like this discussion, it's like voting for a Hall of Fame player where you need to balance greatness with longevity. Copeland, mwy, and Anberlin all jumped out right away too. Jimmy Eat World would have a strong case

 

you're all aware that the "five album test" is a real thing right?

https://music.avclub.com/the-five-albums-test-1798226579
https://www.treblezine.com/10-artists-who-pass-the-5-album-test/

 

tbh, that’s not a bad way to listen to multi-LP albums sometimes.

 

That reasoning is actually why I love the vinyl track list more. It’s like a proper LP split into four different sections. Super fun.

 

I wasn't but now I am. Very interesting. Thank you!

Melancholy music appeals to me so I'm definitely going to revisit one of his more recent records and see what I think.

Yeah on a personal level Anberlin and mwY are definites. I actually don't massively enjoy Copeland pre-Ixora but I have bought every single one of their albums.

I can see Thrice generating consensus in this scene.

 

Best 5 album runs I can think of for me are MCR if you count CW, Copeland, Death Cab and MCS.

 

Off the top of my head - Copeland, Jimmy Eat World, Mutemath

 

Weekly Poll: Favorite Relient K Album • forum.chorus.fm

 

This album is 4 today