Pros: Not a single poor track, excellent blend of horn riffs and guitar rock
Cons: A bit too short; fans expecting the ska sound of old will be surprised
The Bottom Line: The best album Five Iron Frenzy has produced to date, Electric Boogaloo deviates from their ska roots without losing the energy and witty wordplay that characterized their past albums.
tarrsk's Full Review: 2: Electric Boogaloo by Five Iron Frenzy
Two years ago, it seemed like the Five Iron Frenzy albums were coming fast and thick. Two albums were released in six months- an 18-track live recording, Proof That the Youth Are Revolting, and a full-length LP, All the Hype That Money Can Buy. It's been a year and a half since then, and now FIF presents their latest studio recording, with the tongue-in-cheek title of Five Iron Frenzy 2: Electric Boogaloo (for those of you who are wondering, the title is a reference to the movie Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo). Is the end product worth it? Oooh yeah.
Stylistically, FIF2:EB is a huge departure from "classic" FIF. The original ska sound is almost entirely gone- only one song is recognizably "ska" the whole way through. What we find instead is straight-up rock and roll with a horn section, with some of the heaviest guitar work ever seen in FIF's work. Rather than playing a horn riff and just building ska guitar and a bassline around that, the guitars and horns each play a unique, separate part that mixes into the whole to create something different. This is most obvious in Juggernaut, which begins with a single guitar riff. The horn section blasts what almost resembles one of their old silly riffs, but then segues into melancholy reggae rock as the other members of the band jump in.
On paper, it sounds like FIF is just jumping off the dying ska bandwagon, along with just about every other ska band out there, but FIF manages to pull off the transition from ska to rock better than most. The horns play just as much as they ever have, but their parts meld better with the other instruments, giving the music a rich tone that is often missing from ska. Rather than sounding like eight soloists who happen to be playing simultaneously, Electric Boogaloo sounds like the work of an ensemble.
The mix of the album is very good. Masaki Liu has done his usual excellent job as producer- he purchased new equipment and recorded digitally for the first time, and it really shows- the recording is clear as springwater and the equalization is balanced just about perfectly. The muddiness that characterized earlier FIF recordings (Our Newest Album worst of all) is gone, replaced by hard driving snare drums and bright horns. The mix is also heavily improved over the mix from All the Hype. AtH's annoying loud bass levels is no longer. The guitars, which were often almost inaudible on AtH, are thick and strong on Electric Boogaloo.
The horns sound much better as well- AtH's horn mix tended to minimize the trumpet part too much, so that the harmonizing trombone and saxophone were actually louder than the melody at times. Electric Boogaloo returns the emphasis to the trumpet, except when the trombone takes the spotlight (as in Far, Far Away). Also gone is the frequently off-tune horn harmonies of Upbeats & Beatdowns and Quantity is Job 1. In its place is something that sounds as clear as you'd find on a Reel Big Fish album.
Reese's voice is a bit too loud at times, and this drowns out the horns (especially since the horns and vocals are often going at the same time in this album). This is most obvious in Eulogy, in which the horns are mixed back in addition to Reese being placed in front. Really unfortunate, if you ask me... Eulogy's horn parts are the best on the album. On a positive side, the role of the background vocalists has increased dramatically. Dennis Culp and Micah Ortega sing their harmonies at top form, and are constantly echoing Reese's lines or singing parts of their own.
On to the tracks themselves.
Electric Boogaloo starts with a bang in the form of Pre-Ex-Girlfriend. Already, FIF's musical maturity is obvious. The guitar lines are more complex than anything they've done before, with the horns flawlessly weaving in and out to form surprisingly catchy licks. The song is flat-out superfast punk rock, Chaka smashing the crap out of his snares while the guitars snarl in and out. Roper bemoans his bad luck in love, sardonically remarking that "You might say she's everything/ Just before everything goes wrong." Listen as Reese attempts to hit on a girl! Laugh at the inevitable conclusion! Da na na na na na na naaaa! Overall, a great song to start the album off with. Fast, catchy rock 'n roll about girls is always good in my book.
Far, Far Away, the album's first radio single, is up next. With a catchy tune and a sharp contrast between the fast riffs of the verses and the pounding power chords of the choruses, it's easy to see why FIF chose this one for radio play. The bridge features a trombone solo the likes of which haven't been heard since the Live album, backed by crackling guitar riffs. The synthesized strings that come in during the second verse were a bit jarring the first time I heard the song, but that was primarily because I'd gotten used to the rough cut of the song while visiting FIF at the studio. That mix still lacked the horn recordings and the synth additions. To anyone who has heard this song on the radio/ via the $2 single- if you liked Far, Far Away, you'll adore the rest of the album at least as much, probably more.
You Can't Handle This sounds like Five Iron Frenzy's tribute to Weezer, featuring a distinctly Weezeresque rhythm guitar on the downbeat powering a thick guitar solo. Reese nails all the high notes admirably, without losing pitch for a second, while ELO-style background vocals "hoo-hoo-hoo" their way through the choruses. The song is basically about a nerd with an inflated opinion of himself, and the lyrics are some of the funniest on the album, very classic FIF silliness. FIF has been playing this song all autumn long on tour, and for good reason- few rock numbers are as satirically anthemic as this one.
Farsighted features dueling punk rock guitars. Micah and Sonnie's riffs harmonize and swoop between melody and harmony interchangeably, often in the middle of a riff. Reese's singing is very passionate, as well, and his screaming "YEAAAAH" halfway through the song is a fun touch. The horns are more understated in this song, which fits its punk-rock power-chord mood. It does get a tad repetitive, as there is a third verse instead of a bridge, but the guitars sound so freakin' cool that I was glad for the opportunity to hear the refrain an extra time. Fans who preferred FIF's old ska style will not like this one much, as it goes for the punk extreme of FIF's ska-punk style, but anyone who isn't a ska purist will find it to be one of the catchiest songs on the record.
A rising crash of horns and guitar feedback segues into Spartan in a way similar to the introduction to Four Fifty One on All the Hype. Unlike the fast and rocking Four Fifty One, however, Spartan is an emo-influenced praise song. A quiet guitar arpeggio swirls through the piece as the horns harmonize. Although the song definitely has its loud moments (especially during the chorus), it keeps a mood befitting its name- very minimal and understated, tossing out FIF's usual riffs in favor of creating an mood. Reese sings with the passion of a lyricist who truly believes in the power of a song's words. I especially like how the song ends, with a crash of chords at the beginning of each measure until only Sonnie's guitar arpeggio is left... and then stops.
The Day We Killed kicks in at the fading notes of Spartan. This is the first Five Iron song that could conceivably be called hardcore, Reese screaming out "Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies!" at the beginning of each chorus. Thick guitar hooks mix with the song's sharp, harsh horn riffs in a way that I only wish the Supertones' rapcore efforts could match. I don't want to spoil the lyrics too much, but suffice it to say that it's a very political song, with lyrics reminiscent of Old West and Banner Year. Make of that what you will. :) It took a few listens to grow on me, because it's such a hugely radical departure from FIF's normal style, but once you get used to it, it becomes a very memorable song, easily one of the album's standout tracks.
Juggernaut begins with a simple sequence of octave chords. The horns blare in a riff that sounds almost silly until the bass and rock guitars kick in and you realize that this is not a happy song at all. The verses are melancholy Latin-flavored reggae that shift to the album's usual rock during the chorus. Ah, but then there's another surprise- during the bridge, we hear the first actual ska in the album. The familiar guitar on the upbeats, backed by a complex bassline, gave me a sense of nostalgia for a moment. And surprisingly enough, it all works. The transition between each style is so smooth that you barely notice it. Definitely the most diverse song FIF has done, while still remaining catchy and identifiably Five Iron Frenzy.
The brief sequence of ska in the previous song explodes into full skankable rhythms in Plan B. One of the most upbeat songs on the album (pun not intended), Plan B is swing-ska at its finest. An infectious horn line backs up as witty a set of lyrics as you'll ever find ("Don't you cry Momma, don't you even weep/ 'Cause you know your son excels at sleep"). Even if the song weren't as catchy as it is, this one would be worth listening to just to hear Reese rhyme "crescendo" with "Nintendo." The only part that bothers me is the part in the ending when the drums and guitars drop out for one chorus- for a second it sounds more like Relient K than FIF. Straightforward pop-ska at its finest, Plan B a welcome reprieve from the generally darker mood of the album.
Blue Mix is the Handbook For the Sellout of FIF2:EB. Stylistically, it reminds me of Four Fifty One, fast driving rock with a definite ska influence during the verses. The horns are very prominent in this song, taking up the melody during the intro and the second half of the bridge. Micah gets some really nice little riffs in this as well, especially during the bridge. Reese's lyrics rail against the common practice of "blue mixing," in which a tour's headlining band requires their opening bands to purposely reduce the quality of their mix so that the headliners sound the best. It's a very fiery lyrical rant with a very valid point. A side note: I really like the background vocals for this one, especially the line "kick us while we're down, yeah!" Reminds me of the classic "whoa, whoa" from Suckerpunch.
Every album needs a song that you can't help but dance to. In Electric Boogaloo, that would be Vultures. At times a tribute to the music of the eighties, Vultures is another huge departure from anything FIF has ever done. Reese raps out the verses in a comical overdubbed monotone, shifting to normal vocals during the choruses and bridge. The song is very light and upbeat until the bridge, when it takes a serious turn. "The vultures circle/ They've paved the way/ They've bit and clawed their path to top floors in L.A...." Reese ends the bridge with a massive crescendo of "When the revolution comes," which starts at a whisper and by the fourth repetition has Reese at full yell. The song goes through the chorus one more time before closing.
Car was originally known simply as "the 5/4 song." The lyrics were written by Leanor "Jeff the Girl" Ortega in remembrance of her brother Carlos, who died this past year in a trucking accident. The entire song is indeed written in 5/4 time, which gives the song an urgent and clipped feel that complement its sad, poignant words perfectly. My favorite part is the bridge, during which the guitars, horns, and vocals are going simultaneously. It's a beautiful song, with some of the most complex arrangement I've ever seen in pop music. Definitely one of my top three songs on the album.
The album concludes with Eulogy. I could go on for pages about how much I love this song, but suffice it to say that Eulogy is stunningly beautiful, haunting and uplifting at the same time. The song begins in 6/8 time, then switches to 4/4 during the vocalized parts. As the song progresses, it shifts from loud and passionate to quiet and reflective and back, giving the song a very moody feel. The horn parts are some of the best FIF has ever written, and could easily have been the melody for a song by any other band. But intertwined with the horn riffs is Reese's vocals, which reach an emotional climax in this song. His voice ranges from tired, sad whispers to ringing defiance, all perfectly in time with the rest of the band. The song rises to a powerful climax, and then the band fades out together. The lyrics hit me really hard, because they are about people who idolize the band without taking into account their message, and the fact that they play what they do, not for themselves, but for the glory of God. I'm certainly guilty of this, and as a result, I'm finding myself more emotionally affected by this song than any other on the album. It really is hard sometimes to remember that the bands we listen to consist of normal people. Five Iron Frenzy doesn't want to be placed on a pedestal, lauded as the most moral, or most artistic, or most funny band in the music world. Reese is very passionate about this- during the recent show they played here, he ended the show with a message about this very subject.
In fact, even the album's cover art reflects the theme of Eulogy. The back of the album features a pile of instruments, strewn in a pile, surrounded by desert. Take out the CD, and one finds a similar photograph, but this time it is night, and the instruments are burning. The picture of the band featured on the cover is likewise duplicated on the back of the insert, but with the members of the band nearly faded out. "Goodbye, sayonara, they are tired, write the Eulogy..."
Five Iron Frenzy does not have the artsy technical brilliance of Radiohead, nor the instrumental dexterity of jazz legends, nor the calculated angst of today's popular alternative and metal. What they do have is the talent of songwriting, the ability to produce songs that are both lyrically and musically intelligent while remaining approachable and honest. Five Iron Frenzy 2: Electric Boogaloo demonstrates a growth of the band from their irreverent roots, a defiant reminder that while they will never stop being the craziest band around, they also have some very serious messages to share. They have matured musically and lyrically, and by all indications have no intention of stopping.
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