The "Ska Against Racism" tour will kick off this spring with a collection of popular ska bands travelling around the country. It promises to be a well-attended festival with a long list of big-name bands. On the tour, the band Five Iron Frenzy is the lone representative of the growing pool of Christian ska as one of the hottest groups this year with their sophomore record, Our Newest Album Ever!. Full of catchy melodies and bouncy music, this record has taken off proving that FIF's popularity is well-deserved.
The eight talented musicians that make up this festive frenzy have put together a fine third-wave ska record. With two guitarists, Micah Ortega and Scott Kerr, the rhythm section of Keith Hoerig on bass and Andrew Verdecchio at the drums, Dennis Culp on trombone, Jeff (the girl) Ortega on sax, Brad Dunham playing trumpet, and Reese Roper handling the lead vocals, Five Iron Frenzy has put down some peppy, powerful tracks. Even though the production seems a little muddled to me, the songs' meanings come through loud and clear. To see where the band's heart is at, look at songs like "Second Season," "Suckerpunch" (the latest hit), and these lyrics from the last song on the album,
"Every New Day":
Dear Father, I need you, your strength
my heart to mend. I want to fly higher,
every new day again.
...Jesus Christ, light of the world burning bright within our hearts forever.
Freedom means love without conditions, without beginning or an end.
Here's my heart, let it be forever Yours,
only You can make every new day seem so new.
To see their sense of humor, look at songs like "Where Is Micah?" and "Oh, Canada." Sometimes the band's heart and humor meet, like in these lyrics from one of my favorites off of the record, "Superpowers":
Heart...
I wanted to be famous, now I want to take it back.
Don't want to rock the mic, don't want to meet the pope.
I just want to share with you, how we got this peace and hope."
Humor...(one of my favorite lines)
"Sometimes we have a deadline for writing our songs.
Five minutes left to write this one.
La
la, la
la, la, la, la.
This record is mostly third-wave ska, with lots of ska rhythms and rock guitars; but as I listened I noticed that some of the songs are barely ska at all. There is lots of rock and roll, swing, and Chicago-style pop in these twelve songs, but there is plenty of ska energy for the diehard rudie. A fan can skank to his or her little heart's content in front of Five Iron! The package art work is very cool as done by Doug TenNapel, and the music inside is lots of fun. If you see the guys at the "Ska Against Racism" tour be sure to say a prayer for them--and then get ready to dance to the beat!
4 tocks
Other coverage for this album
7ball #16Reviewed by Bruce A. BrownSka, 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…The Lighthouse Unsorted 1998Reviewed by Karen M. VaseySka music, with its catchy guitar hooks and blaring horns, has produced another stellar album. Five Iron Frenzy's sophomore release, Our Newest Album Ever!, provides an extra-large helping of what FIF fans have come to expect and new fans to the genre should enjoy as well. Our Newest Album Ever! provides the same happy-go-lucky sounds of the first album, but with a much more polished sound. The…Puddlegum 1998Reviewed by Nick MeurlottThis ska-pop-core's sophmore release shows their maturity both musically and spiritually. I like these guys style. They don't sound monotonous, despite a few intros, and they aren't afraid to have a hardcore section on "Fistful of Sand". They have obvious punk influences, and they glorify God. They have a more "anti sellout" tone on this album than their previous, Upbeats and Beatdowns, which is…The Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by Shari LloydWhat can you say about a band that has the good taste to have TenNapel of Neverhood fame design their cover? They sure better have something good to go with it. Five Iron Frenzy has always been a fun, energetic band and Our Newest Album Ever!, their second album, seems to carry on that tradition. The music is similar to the first album, Upbeats and Beatdowns -- Five Iron Frenzy considers…ReAL Magazine 1997Reviewed by Kevin D. HendricksOur Newest Album Ever is probably Five Iron's best album ever. It's leaps and bounds above Upbeats and Beatdowns, and is definitely a sophomore release to be proud of. This time around Five Iron spent a lot more time in the studio, and it really shows. The album sounds cleaner and the arrangements are more complex. Upbeats and Beatdowns felt rushed at times, but for their newest album ever, they…Similar sounding releases
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