- CCMMagazine.com

 While the title itself is quite thought-provoking in its sheer ambiguity, it’s not all that surprising considering it’s Relient K who came up with it. Since the band’s self-titled bow in 2000, these Ohio rockers have consistently eschewed convention. With quirky song titles, the clever integration of pop culture references and relatable stories to fuel its catchy anthems on the trials and tribulations of young adult life, apparently there are quite a few believers out there—almost 400,000 just from the band’s previous release alone, Two Lefts Don’t Make a Right… But Three Do.

Now on Mmhmm it’s almost like that first transitional moment when your grandma pinches your cheeks at a family reunion and declares, “My, you’re all grown up!” From start to finish on Mmhmm’s 14 tracks, fans are introduced to a more (gasp!) mature Relient K.

Now that’s not to say the album isn’t any fun because there’s plenty of that to be had as well on tracks such as “High of 75,” “My Girl’s Ex Boyfriend” and “This Week the Trend.” But what’s instantly noticeable about the lyrics of songs like “The One I’m Waiting For,” “Which to Bury, Us or the Hatchet” and “Be My Escape” is a burgeoning worldview that’s more than just the usual commentary on girls, rejecting complacency and seeking God as our ultimate hope. Matt Thiessen (the band’s frontman and primary song-writer) digs deeper, and it shows—especially on the infectiously crafted “I So Hate Consequences” and the confessional, acoustic guitar-based closer “When I Go Down.”

Musically speaking, a maturing sound is also surprisingly evident with the integration of piano-based flourishes and a little violin and cello sprinkled throughout, along with great variation in guitar timbres to keep the songs from sounding too similar. Quality production, courtesy of long-time mentor/collaborator Mark Lee Townsend (Evan Anthem, The O.C. Supertones), certainly doesn’t hurt the final outcome, either, as the record has a great blend of commercial rock sensibilities merged with a more subdued, stripped-down feel on the quieter material—a combination that tastefully charts the next winning course in this band’s career.