Day 461 - Relient K - I So Hate Consequences

461. Relient K - I So Hate Consequences

From the album Mmhmm
(Gotee, 2004)

"... [A]ll of a sudden, Relient K has experienced a musical revolution. Their brand new full length, Mmhmm, is being released on Capitol Records. A major label release for this goofy band? Is it possible? The answer is yes. Relient K’s latest effort is a blast of pop-punk goodness. Every song has a killer hook, the vocals are smooth and melodic, the production is amazing, and the lyrics are *gasp* actually really good – and at times very mature. It all seems like a bit much for this 3-piece, but it’s time to believe it – Relient K is back with a much more mature formula for success.

That being said, Relient K still writes great pop-punk music. Don’t expect any change in tempo, the band still brings it hard and fast. The opener The One I’m Waiting For kicks the album into gear right off the bat. Fast-paced and full of group-vocals and punching guitars, Relient K proves they are different this time around. The vocals are more aggressive, they don’t sound whiney anymore. The album continues on with one great track after another – the album essentially has no weak parts to it. ...

Next on the album is my personal favorite track, I So Hate Consequences. Immediately this track sounds different from the others, hard driving drums and dark guitars lead into the spectacular verse, complete with my favorite lyric:

So here I sit looking at the traffic light
The red extinguishes the hope that the green ignites
I want to run away, I want to ditch my life
Because all of my mistakes keep me awake at night

So long, Sadie Hawkins Dance. This album never fails to impress me lyrically as well as musically. The track is also full of dark, melodic chords while creating a memorable and catchy chorus. It’s also the first track that Relient K introduces a back-up scream or two, mainly during the chorus. Cliché? Hardly. It adds passion and intensity to the song – again, making Relient K seem much more sincere this time around. I can’t say enough – and I’m only through the first 4 tracks.

The remainder of the album is stellar as well. ...

I really have no major problems with this record. It’s the best pop-punk album I’ve heard all year. It’s uplifting and happy, but not sappy. The only thing that prevents this album from getting a higher score is the fact that it is still fairly standard pop-punk, though done extremely well. While the sound is much more mature, it is not groundbreaking. I don’t know how much staying power this band has. After a few slower piano tracks, the later tracks on the album begin to run together a bit – until Life after Death and Taxes. Mmhmm is even complete with the token acoustic track at the end – albeit a good song.. But for the genre, Relient K does what they do near perfect. Fans of any pop-punk/rock band – The Starting Line, Fall Out Boy, Something Corporate – will eat this album up, though I don’t believe enjoyment is limited to fans of any specific genre. Relient K is back and they are serious this time. Go pick up this album today." (source: AbsolutePunk.net)

Here is the original studio album version of the song: