What 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 themselves to be ska-core, which usually combines ska with punk rock, pop, or other styles of music.
"Handbook for the Sellout," "Where is Micah," and "Superpowers" are humorous looks at the band which indicate fame may not be all it's cracked up to be. For example, as "Superpowers" says:
Eight people in a stinky van,
A couple more couldn't hurt.
Eat some food off the floor.
I've developed a taste for bread mold.
Ride around in a van,
Don't take a shower for six weeks and...
We've been given superpowers...
I once wanted to be famous,
Now I want to take it back.
Then, there are the songs that directly point us to God, such as a song with the unlikely title of "Suckerpunch":
A Song Sung for underdogs,
for all the left out. A flag
flying for losers, somewhere
in the Heavens. The God of
ever-lasting comfort,
believed in me, loved me
when I was faithless, he still
died for me.
A lot of the songs, like "Blue Comb '78," seem silly, but don't be led astray. Hidden under the silliest lyrics are pearls of wisdom which, in my opinion, keep this band heads above its fellow ska bands.
4 tocks
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!.…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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