Comments
Galactic Conquest is quite enjoyable for what it's worth. haha.
Eleventyseven
Galactic Conquest
It’s round two for the rawkin’, snot-nosed little brothers of the increasingly artsy Relient K, and the ES boys are having too much fun. This disc is chock-full of upbeat teen anthems with bigger production, monophonic synth runs, and even some pseudo-techno breakdowns. Only once does an acoustic guitar rear its head on “It’s Beautiful.” Throw in some strings, orchestral percussion, and a lyric about how God turns “mistakes into miracles,” and you have a nice little ditty in the middle of the mayhem. You get a great sunny, 80’s tinged tune that would make good teen movie soundtrack material (“How It Feels”). You get a breakneck speed jam with a bridge of “Hallelujah’s” (“Fight To Save Your Life”). There’s even a silly, fun ode to a certain late-night talk host (“Conan”). The CD ends with “Galaxies Collide,” and it’s time again for tongue-in-cheek techno ... wait ... wow! It’s full-on disco! (complete with Locoer). Now’s the time on sprockets when we dance! This veers dangerously close to boy band territory, but on every great album there is one song that makes the fans say, “What were they thinking?” This is that song. I would be remiss if I did not mention the truly bold lyrical statement on the tune, “12 Step Programs.” ES tackles this controversial issue head-on with “Take back all your self-help programs / It was self that got me here in the first place.” Definitely something to chew on. Maybe in the future these young men will wrestle with other heavyweight subjects, but for now they’re having too much fun.
[Flicker] Paul Q-Pek
This album review was originally published in the September/October Issue (#127) of HM Magazine. Order the Print Version to read tons more reviews. You can order the Print Version of this issue online or find this issue on newsstands. You can NOW read this entire feature in the online edition of HM Magazine. If you're a subscriber, you get a free online/digital subscription with your print subscription. You can purchase a single online/digital edition (which includes access to back issues) for only $1.99. A one-year digital-only subscription can be had for only $6.
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