Bananas, strange costumes, and Ghoti Hook: all three, very fun topics. Combine them and something good is bound to happen. Not to keep you in suspense any longer, the result is the title track to Ghoti Hook's new album, Banana Man, a rather odd little piece about a man whose job is dressing up like a banana.
For those of you who have heard and enjoy Ghoti Hook - rejoice, the album is true to form. For those of you who have not heard Ghoti Hook - yes, they are generally that strange, but it's always fun. For those of you who have heard Ghoti Hook and don't enjoy them - why are you reading this?
Banana Man has the same fun sense as their first full-length project, Sumo Surprise. Their fast, catchy, punk style is little changed. The title cut, "My Bike," and "At The Zoo" carry the same offbeat, occasionally morbid, sense of humor as "Samson" and "Super Sumo" from their first album.
On the flip-side, "Estevan," "Middle Ground," and "Running Away" show the band's talent for serious songwriting. "Estevan" is about a person looking back on a relationship that dragged him down, and finally looking forward to the day when he can leave it all behind. "Middle Ground" is about a teenager going through the painful divorce (is that a bit redundant?) of his parents. "Running Away" is a bit more vague, but could be God talking to a person continually trying to run away from Him - in other words, nearly any one of us.
Overall, I would say this album shows improvement from their last. If you like Ghoti Hook, or just enjoy some good clean punk, I would strongly encourage getting this album. Personally, I am looking forward to their next release, whenever that may come.
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 1997Reviewed by Jeremy ChoiTo this day, it is this writer's belief that Ghoti Hook's 1996 debut release on Tooth and Nail Records, Sumo Surprise, is one of the best records that Tooth and Nail has released in its four years of existence. The five-man band from Virginia produced a very fun and heavily punk-style record with Sumo Surprise, one that would delight fans of MxPx, Green Day, Rancid, and Value Pac. The music was…The Phantom Tollbooth 1997Reviewed by Linda T. StonehockerThe boys of Ghoti Hook are back with more pop-punk silliness crammed onto a CD bearing the image of a man. Not just any man, but a man in glasses and a banana suit. The beat rarely slows, and the production is an accurate rendition of amplified instruments at full volume, very much like their first release, Sumo Surprise. Please don't look for deep meaning in that banana suit--it isn't there--but…The Phantom Tollbooth 1997Reviewed by Mark J. AylorIt's been 15-20 years since I heard good punk music. Guess what? I found something that has at least peaked my interest. Ghoti Hook (pronounced "go-tee," thank you very much) takes me back to those hard core punk days before new wave ruined it and sets my head rattling. It has enough energy to power the entire eastern seaboard and still have plenty left over. Banana Man is Ghoti Hook's second…Similar sounding releases
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