Birds, bees and everything in between

After being pigeonholed by the “Christian rock” title, Relient K burst onto the mainstream scene with 2004’s Mmhmm, one of the best pop/rock records of recent memory.

All the while, the group has always been one of the most fan-friendly acts around, releasing all sorts of B-sides and EPs between major records.

Their newest double-disc, 26-song effort, The Bird and The Bee Sides accumulates a lot of those special tracks onto one album, as well as delivering 13 new tracks sure to tide any fan over.

Although Relient K’s most recent effort, Five Score and Seven Years Ago wasn’t as commercially viable as Mmhmm, the band continued their musical progression by completely ditching the kitschy pop culture references from their earlier career and focusing on a more serious and polished sound.

The new tracks here, known as The Nashville Tennis EP, continue that trend while adding another layer to the band’s pop sensibilities.

This part of the release also sees each member of the band perform lead vocals for a track, which produces interesting results. Drummer Ethan Luck dabbles in 311-esque reggae-pop on “No Reaction,” while guitarist Matt Hoopes provides some good-natured fun with “You’ll Always Be My Best Friend.”

Yet the band still shines when vocalist/pianist Matt Thiessen delivers his usual delicate-yet-subtly strong vocal performance on tracks like “There Was No Thief” and “I Just Want You To Know.” His humor isn’t completely gone either, as lyrics like “And I’m sorrowed that you probably/ Magically got this song for free/ I’m not sure if it bothers me, it seems fine/ Cause I’m having a good time” (on “The Scene & Herd”) pinpoint his tongue-in-cheek demeanor.

 The B-sides portion of the album provides remastered versions of previously released material, acoustic tracks and demos that most major Relient K fans have. If anything, they provide a nice scope to compare where the band’s been and where they’re going.
The Bird and The Bee Sides delivers anything Relient K fans could ever ask for, especially the brand-new songs. Goofy title aside, the album sees the band continue to prove they’re one of the most consistent acts around.