Ska, 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 zaniness in the band's stage show and on its two albums. But largely due to the efforts of chief lyricist Reese Roper, Five Iron has established itself as the thinking person's ska outfit. Rather than toss out quips for the sake of a laugh, Five Iron takes the approach of master jester Steve Taylor, using humor as a tool to make a serious point. In several songs on Our Newest Album Ever, FIF comes to grips with being one of the poster children for third wave Christian ska. The driving opener, "Handbook for the Sellout," sets the tone for this attitude. Over a bed of blistering horns (a la vintage Chicago or Blood, Sweat & Tears), Roper blasts those who follow musical trends like lemmings. That theme is carried through to "Superpowers" and "Litmus." The former takes another jab at fame and its attendant woes, while the latter reminds us not to gauge what forms of ministry are valid by our own fallible standards. It should be stressed that FIF's Newest is far from dour or one-dimensional. Quite the contrary, in fashioning an album that has definite serious points to make, the band's sense of humor is all the sharper on the more comedic tracks. "Where's Micah?," for example, roasts the band's oft-tardy and absent guitarist; "Suckerpunch" pays tribute to those of us who feel like misfits; "Blue Comb '78" ties the loss of innocence to the loss of a beloved grooming tool, while "Oh, Canada" toasts our neighbors from the Great White North (FIF earns extra credit on this track for mentioning the lovely and talented William Shatner). Everything about Newest, from the artwork by Doug TenNapel to the production by Masaki, throws down the gauntlet to other ska artists. Five Iron Frenzy is easily competitive with any mainstream ska band, and its standard-raising musical performance on this disc only bodes well for the future of the genre in Christian music.