“Mmhmm? What kind of a title is Mmhmm?” If you’re like me, that’s what you thought when you saw the new RelientK CD, Mmhmm. RelientK's fourth CD (including a Christmas album) continues to show their fun lyrics and great beats while still providing a Christian perspective. There are fourteen tracks--some with inventive and laughable titles. In the five-and-a-half years since their first album was recorded, RelientK’s success has soared. Already, their album has received numerous excellent reviews. Absolutepunk.net says, “The band's fourth release showcases all of their talent as they put together their strongest collection of pop-rock songs yet; the tracks will leave your foot tapping and head bobbing. Put clichés and your judgements aside because this is a great album.” Decoymusic.com says, "This album has hit written all over it. If you can't enjoy this one you're either a snob or you're dead.” Clearly, this new album is another hit, and continues to make Relient K a favorite band among many people. For more information about Relient K, their tour dates, and albums, go to www.relientk.com or www.mmhmm.com.

Comments on selected tracks:

I So Hate Consequences: One of my personal favorites, this song talks about what happens when we try to run away from God. It talks about how, when we don’t want to face the consequences of our actions, we try to run from God,--just like the prodigal son. In fact, the bridge says, “When I got tired of running from you, I stopped right there to catch my breath, there your words they caught my ears, You said, ‘I miss you son. Come home.’ And my sins, they watched me leave and in my heart I so believed, the love You felt for you was mine, the love I’d wished for all this time, and when the doors were closed, I hear no ‘I told you so’s.’ I said the words I know you know, Oh God, Oh God I needed you, God all this time I needed you, I needed you.” It shows how even when we mess up badly, God always accepts us just as we are.

My Girl’s Ex-Boyfriend: Another of my personal favorites, this is one of the sweetest songs on the CD. In this song, the author is thanking his girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend for dumping her, because otherwise he wouldn’t have her. The chorus goes, “He’s the guy that you should feel sorry for, he had the world but he thought that he wanted more, I owe it all to the mistake he made back then, I owe it all to my girl’s ex-boyfriend.”

More Than Useless: This song addresses an emotion everyone feels at some point or another: uselessness. We all--at one point or another--feel like we’re not good enough for other people, and we feel bad about ourselves. This song reminds us that, to God, none of us are useless. In the pre-chorus and chorus it says, “And sometimes I think that I’m not any good at all, and sometimes I wonder why, why I’m even here at all. But then you assure me, I’m a little more than useless, and when I think that I can’t do this, You promise me that I’ll get through this, and do something right, do something right for once.” The principle of this song is something we all forget so often, and as a result many people hurt themselves because of it.

This Week the Trend: “And this week the trend” begins every verse in this song. It talks about how so many of us just sit and watch life pass us by. We follow the trend and we don’t try to make a difference. So many times we just sit on the sidelines and watch other people live their lives. We just follow them, but by doing this we’re really just watching our lives blow up.