I 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 is now 2002, and the ska craze is essentially dead. Five Iron Frenzy, however, is very much alive, and making some of their best music yet. Their 2001 album Electric Boogaloo is a not a ska or swing album. It mixes elements of rock and pop/punk with Five Iron's signature bursts of trumpet, trombone and sax, along with some of Reese Roper's best songwriting to date, to make a top-notch album.
With the exception of All Star United frontman Ian Eskelin, Five Iron's Reese Roper is one of the wittiest lyricists on the CCM scene today. Not only does he have a knack for sarcasm, but he can also provoke thought and make his point without sounding silly or cliche. "Pre-Ex-Girlfriend" opens the album with a strange, yet funny story of a relationship that is over before it starts, while "You Can't Handle This" is sung from the perspective of a man who is proud to be a total geek ("Beneath my icy stare/ I've got a retainer/ Maybe I'm the physics main event./ Maybe I'm the Chem club president/... So if you're up/ And if you want a piece of me/ Wave goodbye and blow a kiss/ Cause you can't handle this").
On the flip side, Roper also has a serious side. "Far, Far Away" is an upbeat song that speaks of hope and optimism in the face of adversity. "Spartan" is a song about Christians who live lonely, miserable lives due to their faith in Christ, and "The Day We Kill" rages on about the mistreatment of Native Americans by white America.
I am not merely a Five Iron Frenzy fan because of Reese Roper. Granted, his songwriting was what first attracted me to the band, but Five Iron's actual music ain't bad either. "Juggernaut" is an off-the-wall pop song with plenty of horns thrown in here and there, and "The Day We Kill" is a punk-influenced, almost hardcore sounding song. Electric Boogaloo has plenty of variety, to be sure.
The ska trend has come and gone, and Five Iron Frenzy is still standing. If you have been resisting them all this time, it's time to give them a chance, because their newest record is an excellent, rocking piece of music.
Josh's Score: 4/5
Mark's Score: 4/5
Other coverage for this album
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. HendricksI'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…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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