I am so glad a friend of mine introduced me to Hokus Pick earlier this summer. Had he not done that, chances are I would not have volunteered to review Bookaboom, their latest release.
Building on the fun and funky rock of their first two albums, Hokus Pick creates a sound that is more mature, musically, than previous efforts without losing that all-important fun aspect. Influences and flavors abound. One minute I hear the Ventures or the Safaris. The next I hear the Clash or Talking Heads or a slew of Seattle bands and upon occasion, hints of Audio Adrenaline. While some of these comparisons may be from the sixties, seventies, and eighties, make no mistake-this is music for today.
Thematically, Bookaboom addresses several issues that are culturally relevant to modern Christians. From balancing being cool with being righteous, to being careful about what we say or facing the dirt in our hearts, Hokus Pick manages to make tough stuff fun. They even throw in a couple of their customary horizontal "love songs." "Velour Shirt" debates the benefit of changing who we are in order to impress a potential mate and whether it is worth becoming someone else just to get that prize girl or guy. "Dig It Up" is the band's version of carpe diem, with the line, "I wanna go out laughing." "Better Man" is a serious wrap-up for the disc, expressing the singer's desire to become more like Jesus.
Hidden tracks are always kind of fun and Hokus Pick takes the opportunity to pay homage to the Clash by covering and "hiding" the classic "Train In Vain," which most folks refer to as "Stand By Me."
By now it is probably apparent that I really like this album. In fact, my only problem with it is the fact that the lyric sheet, though aesthetically pleasing, is rather hard to read. Some will find the lyrics hard to understand just by listening and may be further frustrated by the fine print inside.
Bookaboom is a fine third major label outing for a band that brings a lot of fun to the seriousness of serving God.
Similar sounding releases
the dipsomaniacsUndertow
1997Kosmos ExpressNow
1998Aunt BettysFord Supersonic
1998BrowbeatsWither Wing
1999BushbabyMedicine
1998Blame LucyGong Show
