I'd consider myself a Five Iron Frenzy fan from the beginning. The night I bought their debut CD I stayed up until 2:00 a.m. listening to the album and reading the lyrics. I've attended a dozen Five Iron concerts, and I've even interviewed members of the band more times than I can remember.
Yet I'm not sure what to think of Electric Boogaloo, their newest album ever. For some it won't be punk enough, or ska enough, or cool enough. It's typical Five Iron Frenzy in lyrics, passion, and nuttiness. But in music, it's something different. Electric Boogaloo is planted firmly in rock and punk circles. Their signature horns are still there, but say good bye to the bouncing off-beats of ska.
"I would say we were never a ska band," said Reese Roper, lead singer. Okay, so they were a third wave ska band, the happy mix of punk and revved up Jamaican ska that was popular in 1996. Roper went on to explain that they've always seen their music as an eclectic mixture of styles: punk, ska, rock. But with Electric Boogaloo they're experimenting with a different mix.
It's definitely a darker and deeper Five Iron Frenzy. You might even say mature. The lyrics are tried and true Five Iron, with plenty of goof ball songs like 'Pre-Ex-Girlfriend' and 'You Can't Handle This,' and a classic Five Iron anthem in 'Farsighted.' The writing is typically impressive, honest and blunt. Their passion for some of the fringe issues of typical Christianity, like the mistreatment of Native Americans and rampant commercialism and materialism, are loud and clear on this album.
Electric Boogaloo sounds very much like the Five Iron Frenzy I know and love, but it doesn't have the magic I remember. A handful of tracks stick out as gems like 'Pre-Ex-Girlfriend' and 'Farsighted,' but the majority of the album just doesn't grab me like a Five Iron album should. It's a good album and will probably serve to broaden their fan base, but it won't find a permanent place in my CD player. You have no idea how it pains me to say that, but I have to be honest with the band that taught me honesty.
In short, it's a different Five Iron Frenzy. Is it a better Five Iron Frenzy? I don't think so, but find out for yourself because, frankly, I hope I'm wrong.
Other coverage for this album
The Rebel Base 2002Reviewed by Josh HurstI am a Five Iron Frenzy fan, though I've fought it every step of the way. When the group released their debut album, Upbeats and Beatdowns, a few years ago, I shrugged them off as just another band jumping onto the ska bandwagon, which was quite trendy at that time. Just some silly Christian rock group with horn players. What could be good about that? Five Iron Frenzy wouldn't last long. Well, it…The Phantom Tollbooth 2002Reviewed by Olin JenkinsI've been waiting for this one for over two albums now! While I enjoyed the live Proof That the Youth Are Revolting and FIF's return to the studio with All the Hype That Money Can Buy, something was missing from the last studio project (including heavy cynicism, e.g. "Four-Fifty-One"), and that's the zany trademark quality of Five Iron Frenzy. From the first moments of "Pre-Ex-Girlfriend" from…ReAL Magazine 2001Reviewed by Kevin D. HendricksThe Denver-based band is back with their newest album ever, and you might be in for a surprise. They've left the off-beats of third wave ska behind for the greener pastures of musical diversity. If you're looking for another FIF CD of skankin' hits, this isn't it. After the shock wears off, you'll find another album of passionate lyrics set to passionate music. Of course they don't leave their…The Rebel Base 2001Reviewed by AmberAfter a long wait, Five Iron Frenzy has hit us with their 6th release, Five Iron Frenzy 2: Electric Boogaloo. Yes, it's a slight change from recent projects, but it is most definitely a change for the better. The album starts out with "Pre-Ex Girlfriend," which has a bit more of a punkish sound. It is similar to recent stuff, and could probably be compared to "Arnold, Willis, And Mr. Drummond."…The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Trae CadenheadI was almost ready to dismiss Five Iron Frenzy as a "has been," no longer able to make quality music since Ska has faded from the spotlight. Their last record, All the Hype That Money Can Buy, left me much less than impressed with the band's ability to overcome the death of Ska. However, on Electric Boogaloo, the ex-thrash and now ex-Ska band has reinvented their sound and, to a certain degree,…Similar sounding releases
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