Ska 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 horn section is in top form as it blends perfectly with the guitar-driven songs. Chief lyricist and lead vocalist, Reese Roper, once again pens quirky lyrics that possess deeper spiritual meanings, much in the vein of Steve Taylor. Roper speaks about the rigors of a musician's life in "Superpowers:"
I've developed a taste for bread mold, Ride around in a van, Don't take a shower for six weeks
and "Handbook for a Sellout:"
Blame it on the band now, If you prick them do they bleed? What's the point in playing what they want, If you won't let them succeed?
The other tracks stress various messages from the humorous "Where Is Micah," a tribute to their always-disappearing guitarist; to "Suckerpunch," a song about sometimes feeling like a misfit; to the ode to the neighbors from the North, "Oh, Canada." A particular standout is "Banner Year," which starts out as a history lesson about the slaughter of the American Indians and then parallels it to the crucifixion of Christ.
With this album, Five Iron Frenzy proves to be a force in the ska scene for a long time to come.
Other coverage for this album
7ball #16Reviewed by Bruce A. BrownSka, 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…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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