Ska was ushered in when bands such as The Specials and Operation Ivy took the rhythms of reggae and combined them with the energy of punk, making a fusion that you could dance to yet wasn't bubblegum pop. The lyrics were often edgy or moody, distancing ska from other forms of catchy music. Reel Big Fish's style was sarcastic and sang about girlfriends getting famous ("She's Famous Now"), pining over a girl ("I Want Your Girlfriend to be my Girlfriend Too") and not being good enough ("I'll Never Be"), but they did it in such a way that was fun to listen to, using sophomoric humor and a great brass section to become alternative rock mainstays. Cheer Up, their latest album, was a little more 'mature' and not as fun as its predecessors, Turn the Radio Off and Why Do They Rock So Hard?, but it was still a very good album.
We're Not Happy 'Til You're Not Happy, on the other hand, makes the listener miss the old stuff more than applaud their new direction that they only hinted at in Cheer Up. The songs still address the bad things in life, but in a frustrated, 'we hate our lives' sort of way. Ska by definition doesn't sound natural if it isn't upbeat and happy sounding, despite the subjects, which do often address misery. Most of the songs on We're Not Happy 'Til You're Not Happy have a style more akin to Dashboard Confessional than Turn the Radio Off.
There's a whole lot not to like about this record. "Awesome" may be the worst song they've ever written, and if not either "One Hit Wonderful" or "Good Old Days" is. The three covers are lifeless exhibits of messing with songs that were good already, with only "Talking Bout a Revolution' even worth a listen--"Story of My Life" and "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful" are drab and boring. What it seems Reel Big Fish has lost the ability to do is write a great song from start to finish. While some songs do have good choruses, almost none of them have good verses anymore. "Don't Start a Band" is fairly good, "Last Show" as well, but there isn't anything that makes you hit the repeat button over and over. At times listening to this album, the lyrics of "Last Show' --"every day this feels more like a job I don't even want to do" sound like they may be literal.
The best two songs on the album are the last two tracks, in which they sound the most like their old selves. Lyrics such as "When I'm with you I wanna die" in "Say Goodbye," the best song on the album- sound like their old style-sarcastic, unapologetic, yet still fun to listen to. "Your Guts (I Hate Em)" is similar, and good as well, but far too short (under two minutes) to have much of an effect. More songs like these two would have helped this album, but they are the exception and not the rule.
For another band, this may have been an ok record. But I'm not sure that the best song on We're Not Happy 'Til You're Not Happy is better than the worst song on Turn the Radio Off. After listening to this album, I listened to their first two CD's and it made me nostalgic for the good old late 90s, when ska was fun. While we definitely appreciate all the band has done, if they are going to put out albums like this, they're tarnishing their legacy and it may be time to go their separate ways. But some bands try a new direction, realize how great they used to be, and two years later are better than ever. We will wait and see.
2/4
