Unglued Reviews

Reel Big Fish’s first album since returning to an indie label is a mixed bag.

It’s public knowledge that they were glad to escape their former major label contract, and this record reflects that happiness on ridiculously gleeful tracks such as Everybody’s Drunk. Still, their goofy ska-rock has always had a cynical side, and that remains present with cuts like the archetypal The New Version Of You.

In fact, the album features a number of songs bound to become staples of the band’s already gem-packed live set, particularly the stupidly fun Party Down and the minute-long blast of profanity Another F. U. Song. In a less gimmicky vein, the bittersweet singalong My Imaginary Friend is also a highlight, as is the appropriately-named reggae-influenced Slow Down.

However, after the first 10 brand new tunes – the ‘monkeys’ (including a cover of Phil Collins’ Another Day In Paradise) – come the ‘chimps’: no less than seven re-recorded versions of miscellaneous RBF songs previously available in one form or another. Of these, I’m glad to have better-sounding versions of the vitriolic Hate You and self-pitying Call You (being among the few songs from their lo-fi indie debut Everything Sucks that weren’t re-recorded on their first two major label albums). But some of the others – notably Til I Hit The Ground, which originally dates back to a 1994 cassette demo, Return Of The Mullet – could have been left in the closet.

So it is a bit patchy, but heck, I’m just glad they didn’t quit when the third wave of ska crashed back at the end of the last century. They’ll probably never have another hit as big as Sell Out, but by the sound of this fun-loving album, that doesn’t matter to them at all.

Owen Heitmann