Two Lefts Don't Make a Right... But Three Do (CD - 2003)

Relient K: Matthew Thiessen (vocals, guitar, piano); Matthew Hoopes (guitar, background vocals); Brian Pittman (bass); Dave Douglas (drums, background vocals).

Additional personnel: Ryan Watts (vocals); Roby Roy Fingerhead (guitar, background vocals); DJ Manuel (programming); Adam Grimm, Jake Gridgeway, Ryan Nutter.

Recorded at Yellow Studios, Canton, Ohio.

TWO LEFTS was nominated for the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Rock Gospel Album.

Relient K is a 'can't miss' proposition in the secular market. On their third disc, Two Left's Don't Make a Right. . .But Three Do, the band is very strong, singing relevant lyrics to the X generation and beyond with the fervor of a bull horn. This release may be the crossover vehicle that launches the band into the stratosphere. Matthew Thiessen's snotty vocals are at their height, with bashing guitars making a noise, too. "Chap Stick, Chapped Lips, and Things Like Chemistry," kicks off the opus with an alternative musical barrage. On a large portion of the disc, guitars are big all over. It's hard to say the band has reached a maturity when lyrical topics include Boy Meets World, Tears for Fears, and cell phones, but on the flip side, cuts like "Falling Out" has "hit single" written all over it, with its driving rhythm and musical interludes that give way to intelligent, well-placed lyrics. "Forward Motion" is punk passion, where most bands would blow through this guitar-charged cut, Relient K pulls back the throttle, as a well-delivered piano brings the song to an eloquent close."Getting Into You" is a tune that will have radio legs. The tune is delivered with an acoustic guitar, and the humbleness and reverence that Thiessen has for his Creator is evident. Two Left's Don't Make a Right. . .But Three Do is a disc that establishes Relient K as the rulers of the punk kingdom. The tunes, the energy, and the guitars will leave your toes tapping for many spins. ~ Steven Douglas Losey

In an era where everything from R&B to heavy metal has a Christian subgenre, why not seemingly ubiquitous Blink 182-style pop-punk? Relient K has a reputation for providing just such a thing, but it's difficult to discern the overt Christian content on their third album TWO LEFTS DON'T MAKE A RIGHT. Mostly what's on offer are satiric observations filled with equal parts youthful punk attitude, cutting humor, and smart pop hooks. This being a properly postmodern band, pop-cultural references abound. "Mood Rings" namechecks a number of TV shows, while the ostensibly ironic "In Love With The '80s (Pink Tux to the Prom)" features a character obsessed with Tears for Fears. "College Kids," a sendup of the academic experience, sounds like a subject these Canton, OH guys also know something about, as they seem to effortlessly throw 50-cent words into their bracing rock charge to fine effect. minimize