Flipper, hooray!

Reel Big Fish's new album is out and I picked it up at their concert in Hampton. It's good. I was worried about their next album after We're Not Happy Till you're Not Happy, which was half highs and half lows on the Senbei scale, but Monkeys For Nothing and the Chimps For Free is solid and quite enjoyable. The first ten tracks are entitled "monkeys" and are new songs while the next seven are re-recordings and called "chimps." 11, 16, and 17 of the chimps are hard to come by, so it's great to have them on an official album. 13, 14, and 15 are songs off Everything Sucks, their first studio album. Sadly, no Superhero #5.

The new songs form quite the mix of styles. Genres include ska, punk, and ska-punk (surprise!), with the obligatory reggae track, cover track, and an odd accordian-themed track. Most of these are spiced with RBF's trademark humor, especially the nonsensical ramblings of Party Down and the Captain Morgan-inspired Everybody's Drunk (which has lodged itself in my head since my first listening of it and refuses to give up its accomodations). Others retread familiar themes, such as Another F.U. Song and My Imaginary Friend, while Will the Revolution Come and the Phil Collins cover Another Day in Paradise actually have some important life messages to say.

It's a good time. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and, if you've got a weak stomach while listening to Everybody's Drunk, you'll hurl. Barrett gives a very convincing bile-powered belch.