Texas band RELIC has finally dropped their debut album “Golden”, and fans are thrilled to finally hear the tracks that have been teased over the past month. After pivoting from an indie style to a harder rock influence with their single, “Power” earlier this year, fans have been anticipating more rock music from RELIC. Golden is a perfect blend of energy, vulnerability, and passion, reflecting the band’s talent and personal style.
Your Love is an energetic start, kicking off the album with loud guitar and drums that cannot be played at anything less than full volume. It’s hard not to jump around while jamming to Jake Baker’s fabulous vocals. You might want to brush up on your air guitar skills before breaking out this one, because trust me, you won’t be able to resist.
Track 2, American Kid, was released as a single earlier this summer, but they have been playing it at their live shows for over a year, and it has been a fan favorite. It is no secret that Jake, Carson, and Nathan LOVE rock and roll music, and this passion is reflected in tracks such as this one. Although this loud rock music seems to come naturally to the band, frontman Jake Baker said it took a long time for them to get it right. In fact, he shared a little about the writing process for American Kid on Instagram, saying, “Rock n’ roll is an in-your-face, arrogant, and ‘look at me’ genre…the antithesis of who we try to be, So how do we write a song like that in authenticity?” Instead of preaching arrogance, RELIC’s rock music is fueled by faith and confidence in the LORD.
Crywolf is another song that was showcased at RELIC’s live shows, and fans could not wait to hear the full recorded version. It surely did not disappoint. Crywolf is an ear worm and quite possibly the most catchy song off of the album. The edgy vocals of the chorus flow with the identical melody of the guitar and make this song truly memorable.
Indie fans, never fear! Golden is not all rock music! Internet Vacation is a fun song that uses beachy guitar vibes and reflects on the culture surrounding social media and digital connections of the 21st century. Lyrically, this song is probably my favorite from the album. It’s a great song to dance to, and lyrics like, “if she can’t be perfect, she’ll pretend, anything for electronic friends,” really leave you pondering your relationship with the digital world.
RELIC slows things down a bit with their 5th track, Ghost. This song is beautifully raw and vulnerable, a great change of pace halfway through the album.
The band has always been bold about their faith in Jesus, and that is reflected in a lot of their music as well. River in the Desert is a catchy song about new life in Christ and the power of His Word.
Wildfire is another incredible track that was released as a single, but it fits perfectly in the Golden album. I know I’ve said this about almost every song so far, but this song might actually be my favorite.
With all three of RELIC’s members newly married, it is only natural that the album contains a love song. Elephant in the Room is soft and sweet, describing the dreamy feeling of falling in love with someone and developing feelings you can’t ignore. It’s also no coincidence that Jake’s wife, Hannah Baker, has an elephant tattoo, which the title of the song sweetly reflects.
Amen is another faith-based song which speaks words of praise directly to God, while also telling the audience about the life-changing effects of allowing Jesus into your life. The gentle harmonizing throughout the song adds a lovely touch to the prayer-like song.
Closing out the album, RELIC sings about friendship in Compadres. It keeps a steady, slightly slow tune with more harmonizing throughout. This sentimental ballad is a heartfelt way to wrap up Golden.
If you want to listen for yourself, Golden is available now on Spotify and Apple Music!
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