Relient K

Five Score And Seven Years Ago

Gold-selling Christian rockers Relient K seem to have struck a mutually beneficial deal with the corporate devil on their fifth and latest full-length, the Howard Benson-produced Five Score And Seven Years Ago-just when you think the band’s heaping spoonful of sugary, radio-ready power-pop goodness is about to induce a diabetic coma, they suddenly reveal intentions far more divine than just moving units. So despite the album’s many obvious charms, like the immediately catchy “Come Right Out And Say It” and first single “Must Have Done Something Right,” rare gems await those willing to dig deeper, like the dark and quirky “Faking My Own Suicide,” or the album’s true highlight-the stirring 11-minute closer “Deathbed,” that takes you into the mind of a dying cancer patient reflecting upon his life, and ultimately, the spirituality that brought peace at the end. Sure, it takes 14 tracks to get there, but it’s well worth it, and you never mind the wait.

Capitol