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Five Iron Frenzy shoots under par

A reporter at a recent sold-out performance in Dublin by the band Five Iron Frenzy was shocked by the powerful music and the colorful crowd. The reporter commented, "Scenes from the dance floor: a crucifix tattoo, a Technicolor mohawk, a T-shirt that screamed 'Christ First! Then there's soccer!'"

"Our Newest Ever," Five Iron Frenzy's follow up to their well-received debut "Upbeats and Downbeats," is a catchy blend of upbeat rhythms, groove-infused horns, and playful lyrics.

According to Reese Roper, the band's lead singer, the name Five Iron Frenzy came from a time when a friend of the band was joking around and grabbed a golf club and said he was going to use it to defend himself. Someone in the band said, "Oh. It's gonna be a five-iron frenzy!"

Besides Roper, the band consists of bassist Keith Hoerig, guitarists Micah Ortega and Scott Kerr, drummer Andrew Verdecchio, saxophonist Jeff Ortega, trumpeter Nathaniel Dunham and trombonist Dennis Culp.

The CD begins with a powerful song called "Handbook for the Sellout." The energy is high, the horns are catchy and the hooks are great. I went looking for my skateboard but the mood quickly passed.

"Blue Comb '78" takes me back to the '80s. A strong Police and early- Cure influence make this one for the high school reunion. The drums and bass are superb. This should have been on the "Pretty in Pink" or "The Breakfast Club" soundtrack. I loved the '80s. Is Flashdance PG-13?

"Litmus" is a very powerful song. Great lyrics express the pressure the band has felt from the Christian community trying to mold them into an "acceptable" Christian band.

The playful melody and bouncy rhythm of "Where is Micah?" sounds like a B-side to a Havalina single. It was a bit "sing-songy" for my taste. This goes for "Suckerpunch" and "Oh, Canada" as well. Remember "Shiny, Happy People" by REM? These are worse. I hate happy songs! "Superpowers" is the band's satirical look at the rock-star status that comes with being a hot-shot Christian ska band from Denver. Good guitar riff. Skateboard urge is back.

"Most Likely to Succeed" should be renamed "Most Likely not to be a Hit." It might be big in France, but then again so is Jerry Lewis.

The CD ends with a reflective song called "Every New Day." A look at the reality of faith and the necessity of grace in a difficult world.

When asked to define ska music, Roper said, "Ska came from Jamaicans who were playing Calypso and heard Nashville Motown in the '50s and '60s and tried to copy it. What came out was ska." I would add a dash of British punk and a pinch of '80s alternative pop, stir and let simmer.

Overall, this is a good CD to add to the collection. It wouldn't make it on my "Which would I take on a desert island?" list, but this is a band to dance to, when you graduate of course.