Five Iron Frenzy - "Five Iron Frenzy 2: Electric Boogaloo"
Year: 2001
Label: Five Minute Walk
Favorite songs: Far Far Away, You Can't Handle This, Farsighted, Car, Blue Mix, Plan B
Lyric sample: "And Leonard Nemoy / Can't stand up to this / And Captain James T. Kirk / Bows beneath my fists / And I am awesome / Awesome / I am the awesomest"
If you look closely, the clues are there. Eight people: not too many bands have eight people. And what's with that title? Electric Boogaloo? Sounds downright silly, and it actually has nothing whatsoever to do with record's theme or content. It's a reference to the movie Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo. Oh, and this isn't the band's second album. It's their 6th. So the evidence is here. But there's not much else that alerts us that this is a Five Iron Frenzy record. Where are the flashy colors? The stylized drawings of robots and creatures? As it turns out, Electric Boogaloo is not your older brother's Five Iron. It takes quite a different approach from the experiment that was All The Hype Money Can Buy. With this new album, Reese Roper and the gang have reinvented themselves, riding their third-wave ska onto the beach of modern rock. And the surprising thing? They're all the better for it. Long-time fans may have difficulty accepting the lack of upbeats and quirky horns; but if they can get past their initial expectations, they may find that Five Iron Frenzy has released the finest recording of their career.
This is a darker, more serious FIF, but that in no way makes it boring or uninteresting. Quite the opposite - the songs on Boogaloo are fast-paced and riveting. The guitars rock harder, the drums pound louder, and perhaps most noticeable of all, Reese sings better than ever before or since. Lead vocalist Roper has never sounded better than he does here - we catch him at what is arguably the apex of his career. It's almost hard to believe this is the same mumbling, thin-sounding man from 1996. Here he exhibits a great power and confidence - his highs are startling but they don't waver. His unique presence is compulsively listenable. It fills out the record and drives it forward. Listen to those high notes on "Farsighted," and the shouts and screams on "The Day We Killed" and "Vultures." His lyrics are still solid as well, they just aren't as funny. That is not to say the record is without its humor, of course. "Pre-Ex-Girlfriend," "You Can't Handle This," and "Plan B" and "Vultures" all have their share of silliness. However, standouts like "Spartan" and "Far Far Away" carry a solemn respect for their subject matters. The only place that their earnestness goes a little bit overboard is on "The Day We Killed" - it's just too theatrical. However, when a song like that is the worst one on your album, it says a lot for the other tracks. And here they are all fantastic. Writing and technical credits are strong across the board. This is the most polished FIF record. Finally the level of production is matching the strength of their songwriting which is as catchy as ever.
Once again I will alternately caution and encourage readers: this is not a ska record. Even less so than The End is Near. It is modern rock with horns. The only song that really contains any discernable ska element is "Plan B," which, like the rest of the record, sounds stronger and more refined than similar tracks on previous outings. By industry standards, Boogaloo's quality stands out from the crowd of mediocre rock albums. Take a close listen to the underrated "Car." How many contemporary Christian music acts have you ever heard perform a song in 5/4 time? I can count them on one hand. Once you realize what they are doing, you gain a whole new respect for the song. Just try and figure out where all the hits are going to land and I imagine you'll be left scratching your head at least once. But here's the kicker - it's not just an experiment, it's a genuinely good song with a singable chorus and some emotional lyrics from Jeff "The Girl" Ortega.
With so many memorable songs that run the gamut of FIF's usual subjects - the infectious, satirical "Vultures" takes on consumerism and corporate greed; "The Day We Killed" angrily laments the mistreatment of native Americans; "Blue Mix" exposes the industry with ferocious style - I have to say a word about "Far Far Away." It is one of the first Five Iron songs I remember hearing, and after listening to their entire catalogue it remains one of their very best. The loaded verses swell into an irresistible chorus in a song that should have soared on radio waves for months. "Far Far Away" has the poignancy of old favorites like "Every New Day" in a brisk, savvy, 3 1/2 minute rock song. It sits near the helm of the record but it could easily be a closer to cap off the journey (though "Eulogy" fills that need in bittersweet beauty).
Five Iron Frenzy may not be known for their maturity, but Boogaloo is a class act - a cohesive, top notch album with a big sound a great songs from beginning to end. As my favorite CD from one of my all-time favorite bands, Electric Boogaloo is a shoe-in for spot number 3.
None of these songs have official videos that I am aware of, so just listen to Far, Far Away. It's the awesomest.
No comments:
Post a Comment