Ska, because of its infectious rhythms and relentlessly cheery horn charts, is often characterized as simply fun, "good time music." Whether you're referring to mainstream or Christian ska, musicians loping about in ill-fitting, vintage suits are somewhat hard to take seriously. One group which seems to have broken away from that stereotype is Five Iron Frenzy. Sure, there's no shortage of zaniness in the band's stage show and on its two albums. But largely due to the efforts of chief lyricist Reese Roper, Five Iron has established itself as the thinking person's ska outfit. Rather than toss out quips for the sake of a laugh, Five Iron takes the approach of master jester Steve Taylor, using humor as a tool to make a serious point. In several songs on Our Newest Album Ever, FIF comes to grips with being one of the poster children for third wave Christian ska. The driving opener, "Handbook for the Sellout," sets the tone for this attitude. Over a bed of blistering horns (a la vintage Chicago or Blood, Sweat & Tears), Roper blasts those who follow musical trends like lemmings. That theme is carried through to "Superpowers" and "Litmus." The former takes another jab at fame and its attendant woes, while the latter reminds us not to gauge what forms of ministry are valid by our own fallible standards. It should be stressed that FIF's Newest is far from dour or one-dimensional. Quite the contrary, in fashioning an album that has definite serious points to make, the band's sense of humor is all the sharper on the more comedic tracks. "Where's Micah?," for example, roasts the band's oft-tardy and absent guitarist; "Suckerpunch" pays tribute to those of us who feel like misfits; "Blue Comb '78" ties the loss of innocence to the loss of a beloved grooming tool, while "Oh, Canada" toasts our neighbors from the Great White North (FIF earns extra credit on this track for mentioning the lovely and talented William Shatner). Everything about Newest, from the artwork by Doug TenNapel to the production by Masaki, throws down the gauntlet to other ska artists. Five Iron Frenzy is easily competitive with any mainstream ska band, and its standard-raising musical performance on this disc only bodes well for the future of the genre in Christian music.
Other coverage for this album
The Lighthouse Unsorted 1998Reviewed by Karen M. VaseySka music, with its catchy guitar hooks and blaring horns, has produced another stellar album. Five Iron Frenzy's sophomore release, Our Newest Album Ever!, provides an extra-large helping of what FIF fans have come to expect and new fans to the genre should enjoy as well. Our Newest Album Ever! provides the same happy-go-lucky sounds of the first album, but with a much more polished sound. The…Puddlegum 1998Reviewed by Nick MeurlottThis ska-pop-core's sophmore release shows their maturity both musically and spiritually. I like these guys style. They don't sound monotonous, despite a few intros, and they aren't afraid to have a hardcore section on "Fistful of Sand". They have obvious punk influences, and they glorify God. They have a more "anti sellout" tone on this album than their previous, Upbeats and Beatdowns, which is…The Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by Tony LaFianzaThe "Ska Against Racism" tour will kick off this spring with a collection of popular ska bands travelling around the country. It promises to be a well-attended festival with a long list of big-name bands. On the tour, the band Five Iron Frenzy is the lone representative of the growing pool of Christian ska as one of the hottest groups this year with their sophomore record, Our Newest Album Ever!.…The Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by Shari LloydWhat can you say about a band that has the good taste to have TenNapel of Neverhood fame design their cover? They sure better have something good to go with it. Five Iron Frenzy has always been a fun, energetic band and Our Newest Album Ever!, their second album, seems to carry on that tradition. The music is similar to the first album, Upbeats and Beatdowns -- Five Iron Frenzy considers…ReAL Magazine 1997Reviewed by Kevin D. HendricksOur Newest Album Ever is probably Five Iron's best album ever. It's leaps and bounds above Upbeats and Beatdowns, and is definitely a sophomore release to be proud of. This time around Five Iron spent a lot more time in the studio, and it really shows. The album sounds cleaner and the arrangements are more complex. Upbeats and Beatdowns felt rushed at times, but for their newest album ever, they…Similar sounding releases
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