''Our Newest Album Ever!'' is the second full-length studio album released by the band

Five Iron Frenzy Five Iron Frenzy is an American band which formed in Denver, Colorado, in 1995. Best known for playing ska punk music characterized by an offbeat sense of humor and prominent Christian themes, Five Iron Frenzy was one of the pioneering figure ...

. Its street date was November 11, 1997, on

Five Minute Walk 5 Minute Walk was an independent record label founded by Frank Tate in April 1995. Operations were based in Concord, California in the back offices of The Screem, a music club operated by Tate. They only carried Christian bands and considered th ...

, under the SaraBellum imprint, with distribution from

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (known as Warner Bros. Records Inc. until 2019) is an American record label. A subsidiary of Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division ...

Overview

Musically, the band set out to differentiate itself from other

third wave ska Ska (; , ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a w ...

groups, an effort that was met with mixed results. An ''AllMusic'' reviewer found that the band's approach was "status quo", pointing out that the sound of "Handbook for the Sellout" was similar to

Reel Big Fish Reel Big Fish is an American ska punk band from Huntington Beach, California. The band gained mainstream recognition in the mid-to-late 1990s during the third wave of ska with the release of the gold-certified album '' Turn the Radio Off''. So ...

's " Sell Out." Another reviewer found that the artwork (which was produced by

Douglas TenNapel Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals * Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking * Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil W ...

) and production were superior to the masses of ska bands that had begun to flood the market. In any event, the music is an evolution from the sound found on the group's debut, moving toward a less- punkish feel and incorporating more intricate horn arrangements. While the album contains a number of references to

pop culture Popular culture (also called pop culture or mass culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as popular art pop_art.html" ;"title="f. pop art">f. pop artor mass art, some ...

items, it uses them to make serious points about society and Christianity. One reviewer compares the effect to the lyrics of

Steve Taylor Roland Stephen Taylor (born December 9, 1957) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, music executive, film maker, assistant professor, and actor. A figure in what has come to be known as Christian alternative rock, Taylor enjoyed ...

, commenting that Five Iron Frenzy should be known as "the thinking person's ska outfit." Even when used to comic effect, several reviewers indicated that the band's lyrics contain serious messages underneath. Despite the band's religious label, however, Five Iron's approach to issues was perceived as relevant and non-preachy. Five Iron Frenzy also set itself apart visually by avoiding the checker motif associated with ska.

Lyrical content

The content of ''Our Newest Album Ever!'' continues several topical threads that the band had begun to explore on their debut album. "Banner Year" takes on the thread of historical mistreatment of Native Americans. Specifically, it references the

Sand Creek massacre The Sand Creek massacre (also known as the Chivington massacre, the battle of Sand Creek or the massacre of Cheyenne Indians) was a massacre of Cheyenne and Arapaho people by the U.S. Army in the American Indian Genocide that occurred on No ...

of 1864, which was an attack led by Colonel

John Chivington John Milton Chivington (January 27, 1821 – October 4, 1894) was a Methodist pastor and Mason who served as a colonel in the United States Volunteers during the New Mexico Campaign of the American Civil War. He led a rear action against a ...

against an encampment under chief

Black Kettle Black Kettle (Cheyenne: Mo'ohtavetoo'o) (November 27, 1868) was a leader of the Southern Cheyenne during the American Indian Wars. Born to the ''Northern Só'taeo'o / Só'taétaneo'o'' band of the Northern Cheyenne in the Black Hills of presen ...

. According to Reese Roper, the song contains a hidden meaning—Black Kettle waved the

American Flag The national flag of the United States, often referred to as the American flag or the U.S. flag, consists of thirteen horizontal Bar (heraldry), stripes, Variation of the field, alternating red and white, with a blue rectangle in the Canton ( ...

which couldn't save him, Christians fall under God's banner, and in Him they find

salvation Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...

. Other songs take on a more personal tone. "Blue Comb '78" relays an early memory of the vocalist, about how he lost a prized possession, as an

allegory As a List of narrative techniques, literary device or artistic form, an allegory is a wikt:narrative, narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a meaning with moral or political signi ...

for loss of

innocence Innocence is a lack of guilt, with respect to any kind of crime, or wrongdoing. In a legal context, innocence is prior to the sense of legal guilt and is a primal emotion connected with the sense of self. It is often confused as being the op ...

. The band received thousands of blue combs from fans throughout their career. At their final show, released as '' The End Is Here'', the band lamented "You don't know how many times we wished we'd named that 'Have You Seen My

Dollar Dollar is the name of more than 25 currencies. The United States dollar, named after the international currency known as the Spanish dollar, was established in 1792 and is the first so named that still survives. Others include the Australian d ...

'... We failed'." "Fistful of Sand" draws its inspiration from the book of

Ecclesiastes Ecclesiastes ( ) is one of the Ketuvim ('Writings') of the Hebrew Bible and part of the Wisdom literature of the Christian Old Testament. The title commonly used in English is a Latin transliteration of the Greek translation of the Hebrew word ...

,Musique, Sucre'. (1999). Interview with Reese Roper, from bandoppler.com. Now hosted at the Internet Archive

/ref> echoing a representation of the Ecclesiastes#Vanity, futility of life without God. "Second Season" takes a similar thread, explaining that "The strongest will expire just the same... Try to make my shoulders broad, but I am helpless without God." The band also takes on itself, examining its own success and members. In "Superpowers" the band humorously describes the trials of life on the road, the trials of the music business, and also describing the band's own purpose, "...I just want to share with you, how we got this peace and hope." In doing so the song references

Holden Caulfield Holden Caulfield (identified as "Holden Morrisey Caulfield" in the story "Slight Rebellion Off Madison", and "Holden V. Caulfield" in ''The Catcher in the Rye'') is a fictional character in the works of author J. D. Salinger. He is most famous f ...

, a fictional character from the novel ''

The Catcher in the Rye ''The Catcher in the Rye'' is the only novel by American author J. D. Salinger. It was partially published in serial form in 1945–46 before being novelized in 1951. Originally intended for adults, it is often read by adolescents for its theme ...

'', and

Jack Kerouac Jean-Louis Lebris de Kérouac (; March 12, 1922 – October 21, 1969), known as Jack Kerouac, was an American novelist and poet who, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, was a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Of French-Canadian ...

, a

beatnik Beatniks were members of a social movement in the mid-20th century, who subscribed to an anti- materialistic lifestyle. They rejected the conformity and consumerism of mainstream American culture and expressed themselves through various forms ...

author and poet. "Where Is Micah?" invokes the image of John Walsh, host of ''

America's Most Wanted ''America's Most Wanted'' (often abbreviated as ''AMW'') is an American television program whose first run was produced by 20th Television, and second run is under the Fox Entertainment#Fox Alternative Entertainment, Fox Alternative Entertain ...

'', to

roast Roasting is a cooking method that uses dry heat where hot air covers the food, cooking it evenly on all sides with temperatures of at least from an open flame, oven, or other heat source. Roasting can enhance the flavor through caramelizatio ...

guitarist Micah Ortega for his constant absence from practices. "Superpowers" is not the only

music industry The music industry are individuals and organizations that earn money by Songwriter, writing songs and musical compositions, creating and selling Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music and sheet music, presenting live music, concerts, ...

-themed song. "Litmus" takes a swipe at the band's critics within the

Christian music industry The Christian music industry is one aspect of the broader music industry, with a focus on Christian music and subgenres such as gospel music, southern gospel, contemporary Christian music, contemporary worship music, and even traditional church m ...

, with a message that the amount of "Godliness" cannot be resolved through clean-cut measures. "You say preach, they say rock. You put my God inside a box," the lyricist states. Another cut along the same lines is the opening track, "Handbook For The Sellout." "Suckerpunch" is about how even "rejects" and "misfits" like nerdy teenagers are loved and accepted by God. It echoes the "God is in your corner" theme that is also espoused on "Banner Year." "Oh, Canada" takes a

Tongue-in-cheek Tongue-in-cheek is an idiom that describes a humorous or sarcastic statement expressed in a serious manner. History The phrase originally expressed contempt, but by 1842 had acquired its modern meaning. Early users of the phrase include Sir Walte ...

look at Canada. The song makes reference to the country as "the

maple leaf The maple leaf is the characteristic leaf of the maple tree. It is most widely recognized as the national symbols of Canada, national symbol of Canada. History of use in Canada By the early 1700s, the maple leaf had been adopted as an emblem by ...

state," and mentions elements associated with the country including

lemming A lemming is a small rodent, usually found in or near the Arctic in tundra biomes. Lemmings form the subfamily Arvicolinae (also known as Microtinae) together with voles and muskrats, which form part of the superfamily Muroidea, which also inclu ...

moose The moose (: 'moose'; used in North America) or elk (: 'elk' or 'elks'; used in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is the world's tallest, largest and heaviest extant species of deer and the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is also the tal ...

yak The yak (''Bos grunniens''), also known as the Tartary ox, grunting ox, hairy cattle, or domestic yak, is a species of long-haired domesticated cattle found throughout the Himalayan region, the Tibetan Plateau, Tajikistan, the Pamir Mountains ...

s, elements of

French Canadian culture The Culture of French Canada, French Canadian Culture or the Culture of Francophone Canadians may refer to: * The culture of Quebec * Acadian culture, the culture of the French-speaking people of Acadia, in the Maritime provinces * The culture of ...

, Royal Mounties,

Slurpee Slurpee is the brand name for carbonated slushies sold by 7-Eleven and its subsidiaries A-Plus, Speedway, & Stripes Convenience Stores. The brand originated in 1966 when 7-Eleven made a licensing deal with The Icee Company to sell slushi ...

s made of

Venison Venison refers primarily to the meat of deer (or antelope in South Africa). Venison can be used to refer to any part of the animal, so long as it is edible, including the internal organs. Venison, much like beef or pork, is categorized into spe ...

, and Canada-native

William Shatner William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1966 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterpri ...

. The album closes with the worshipful "Every New Day." One reviewer called it without a doubt the best song on the album", noting in retrospect that it closed many of their shows up until the band disbanded. The song is about how

daily life Everyday life, daily life or routine life comprises the ways in which people typically act, think, and feel on a daily basis. Everyday life may be described as mundane, routine, natural, habitual, or normal. Human diurnality means most peop ...

and daily struggles can obscure faith. The song draws two lines from

The Tyger "The Tyger" is a poem by the English poet William Blake, published in 1794 as part of his ''Songs of Innocence and of Experience, Songs of Experience'' collection and rising to prominence in the Romanticism, romantic period. The poem is one of ...

, a poem by

William Blake William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake has become a seminal figure in the history of the Romantic poetry, poetry and visual art of the Roma ...

. The musical melody of the outro horn line contains similarities to the ending vocal melody from the

Nerf Herder Nerf Herder is an American rock band from Santa Barbara, California, formed in 1994 by Parry Gripp (vocals, guitar), Charlie Dennis (bass) and Steve Sherlock (drums). They describe themselves as a " geek rock" band, and are known for simple ...

song "Golfshirt". This horn line was rewritten for the "Winners Never Quit" tour. The end of the song was reprised on "On Distant Shores", the final track of the band's last studio album, '' The End Is Near''. Following "Every New Day" is the hidden track, "Godzilla".

Track listing

All music composed by Scott Kerr and Dennis Culp and all lyrics written by Reese Roper, except where noted otherwise

Personnel

Five Iron Frenzy * Keith Hoerig – bass * Micah Ortega – guitar *Scott Kerr – guitar, backing vocals * Andrew Verdecchio – drums *Dennis Culp – trombone, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Second Season" * Leanor (Jeff the Girl) Ortega – sax * Reese Roper – lead vocals *Nathanael (Brad) Dunham – trumpet Production *

Masaki Liu Masaki Liu, sometimes referred to as "Saki", is the engineer and producer operating One Way Studio, a digital recording studio in Benicia, California. Liu has recorded and produced music for many bands, including Five Iron Frenzy, Black Rebel Moto ...

–

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...

, mixing * Frank Tate – executive producer * Five Iron Frenzy – mixing * Ken Lee – mastering

Charts

Album – ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' (North America)

References

{{Authority control Five Iron Frenzy albums 1997 albums Albums with cover art by Doug TenNapel