Five Iron Frenzy

Item: Quantity Is Job 1
Author: Aaron Bell

Quantity Is Job 1

(1998)

Reviewed by Aaron Bell

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Label 5 Minute WalkThe Phantom Tollbooth1999

ska ska punk

In an effort to single-handedly flood the market, Five Iron Frenzy has put on a new disc with their brand of quality music, solid lyrics, and edgy sarcastic humor. A member of the big three Christian ska bands (along with the Insyderz and Supertones), Five Iron Frenzy continues to make music that is comparable to many of its secular counterparts in quality and ability. This album shows some maturing, but for fans of the first two albums there is not too much maturing so they should still love it.

Starting off the disc with a track entitled "My Evil Plan to Save the World," the seven guys and a girl of Five Iron Frenzy show they still know how to have a good time. The band also has some fun with the very short, loud, and fast hardcore punk song "When I Go Out."

One of the most fun pieces is a tribute to what happens when you combine success, the Internet, and some crazy rumors. "The Untimely Death of Brad" talks about the rumors of the loss of trumpeter Brad Dunham:

I might stretch the truth,
May be a little lie,
There was a boy named Brad,
He played trumpet,
And he died,
Too young for him to cease,
Why? We haven't got a clue,
It's on the internet,
So then it must be true.

Lead vocalist Reese Roper sings these words very much tongue in cheek, and the band comes through again on a fun tune. The band also succeeds in getting the point across to some overzealous fans to watch out because everything you read about the group or its members is not necessarily true.

Five Iron Frenzy also can be serious with great tracks such as "All That is Good" and "Dandelions." "Dandelions" looks at the idea of God seeing us as beautiful when in reality we are pretty much just weeds:

Lord, search my heart,
Create in me something clean,
Dandelions,
You see flowers in these weeds

All this excitement plus throw in a cover of Electric Light Orchestra's "Sweet Talkin' Woman" and a rock opera about pants that has to be heard to truly be understood, and you have a great album from one of the best young bands in music.

4 tocks