Relient K -- Mmhmm

8/10

I purchased Relient K's Mmhmm from a brand new Wal Mart on the way to vote for a man who didn't win. Afterward, while snacking on Wal Mart-purchased Apples, I drove through a downpour, waving to sign-holding supporters of the man who didn't win while I sat in my warm car, listening to Relient K's Mmhmm.
The fall of 2004 holds a special place in my heart. For one thing, it was (FINALLY) my last semester of college, and for another, I had recently kicked that 9-month migraine thing, and in the process, was feeling free from a lot of the chains that had been holding me down. Wow, now that I type that, I realize that migraine was sort of like a pregnancy for my own sanity and freedom.
Enough of all that personal history, though. I just wanted to get it out of the way to show I may be a bit biased in this review. However, objective is my middle name. Or maybe it's objectionable?
Regardless, Mmhmm shows vast growth for pop-punk brigands, Relient K. From the start, the guitars have more punch, the band, drummer included, actually plays a fast, aggressive punk beat, there's a punchy, tempo-changing pre-chorus, an everything but the guitars fall-out blink-182 2nd pre-chorus, and then finally, a real chorus. It's a rush, full of energy, and unpredictable. Second track, "Be My Escape" keeps the unpredictability going, injecting a healthy share of piano, as well. Even the bass player sounds like he wants to prove something. "High of 75" continues the energy blast, with a rapidly-strummed acoustic guitar, an unexpected drum-machine appearance, and a carefree attitude.
"I So Hate Consequences," a career highlight, follows. This song continues the high energy, high unpredictability streak, but takes it to a higher emotional place than the band often reach, with a particularly powerful piano bridge about religious forgiveness.

Relient K are one of the worst offenders in the "is this song about God or girl" songwriters coalition (membership requirement: "USE PRONOUNS!"), so it is always nice when they differentiate. As someone who is religious and also loves a female, I get pretty bored with that kind of vagueness. The subject of "I Hate So Hate Consequences" is transparent.
Track five, "The Only Thing Worse Than Beating a Dead Horse Is Betting on One", is a short (except in title), but sweet political ditty, and then the energy flags just a bit. "My Girl's Ex-Boyfriend" keeps up the trend of vocalist, Matt Theissen's romantic songs creeping me out a bit, as I find them possessive and strangely controlling. "More Than Useless" is synth-heavy and disposable, leaning on the "I'm a screw-up, but it's okay" trope a little too heavily. The album gets back on track with the two parter "Which to Bury, Us or the Hatchet?/Let It All Out" a break-up mini-rock opera, which changes gears about a million times, features a banjo, and ends in a strange, peaceful, ethereal piano cloud that Coldplay used to live on before they got obsessed with proving that they are not old. This is wisely followed by the high-energy "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been," reminiscent of the album's opening tracks, but without as many twists and turns.
"Maintain Consciousness" is as disposable as "More Than Useless," as Theissen rails against prescription drugs or something. It always bothers me when someone who doesn't suffer from (or doesn't admit to suffer from) mental illness tries to comment on it. I think he is actually trying to say something about the public's waning attention span, but the lyrics are muddled. Whatever, it's three-minutes, and it's over. "This Week the Trend" picks things back up, though like "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been," does so pretty straightforwardly.
"Life After Death & Taxes (Failure II)," is appropriately thematically heavy for a penultimate track, setting things up nicely for epic finale, "When I Go Down," another one of Theissen's classic, "get knocked-down, get back up again," closers. "When I Go Down" changes gears many, many times, and as I tossed and turned one night after graduation, wondering what the heck I was going to do with my life, it actually brought me great peace, just like it probably did for all of those just-started-college millennials who had likely just voted in their first election because P Diddy told them to.
The end.

2004 Gotee/Capitol
0. MMHMM -0:17
1. The One I'm Waiting For 3:02
2. Be My Escape 4:00
3. High of 75 2:27
4. I So Hate Consequences 4:01
5. The Only Thing Worse Than Beating a Dead Horse Is Betting on One 1:13
6. My Girl's Ex-Boyfriend 2:28
7. More Than Useless 3:50
8. Which to Bury, Us or the Hatchet? 4:11
9. Let It All Out 4:21
10. Who I Am Hates Who I've Been 3:52
11. Maintain Consciousness 2:52
12. This Week the Trend 2:59
13. Life After Death & Taxes (Failure II) 4:23
14. When I Go Down 6:42