"Our Newest Album Ever!" is the second and latest release by this zany ska/punk eight-some on Five Minute Walk Records. With a trumpet, trombone, sax, and two guitars, this band is set to do some serious skankin' action. Unlike Dance Hall Crashers, Five Iron leans more toward the punk side of their musical hybrid. With the lead vocals of Reese Roper, sounding like those of MxPx or Green Day, this band at times tends to sound more like a straight-up punk band with horns. Their first album was even more so than this one, but actually their latest is quite an improvement from their first release.
Crazy and fun are two words that seem to effectively describe these Canadian punksters. Sweaty and polyester-clad live shows also come to mind when I think of what Five Iron must be like on stage. They're flat-out crazy, and their music reflects that. Though they don't strictly conform to any one particular style, they aim to have fun and make music that's fun to see and hear. They also make it a point not to conform, as Roper bluntly focuses on the subject of alternative popularity in Five Iron's most appropriate Handbook for the Sellout: "Did you think the word 'alternative' was only meant for the likes of you? Being popular is lame. You're the one who made them ('alternative' bands) popular; all their songs are still the same... What's the point in playing what they want, if you won't let them succeed?... You sunk your worth in being different, just to be like your own kind. You traded in objectiveness for the underground you follow blind." It's plain to see that this band isn't out to please everyone, and they won't; but they don't care. They just have fun and play loud music that could be, at times, mistakenly written off as obnoxious.
Though Five Iron Frenzy is dedicated to having a fun time and bringing that through their music, their lyrics, as previously noted, can be quite serious, though shaded by the zany vocal treatments of Roper, and often sarcastic. All in all "Our Newest Album Ever!" is quite a surprise and better than what I had originally expected. My only question is what will their next album be called? And will this album still be considered their newest album ever, or will this just be the last?
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…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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