Reel Big Fish - We're Not Happy 'Til You're Not Happy
Reviewed by david
As a precursor to these opinions, I want to say that I haven't been thoroughly impressed by a new ska/punk release since Streetlight Manifesto's Everything Goes Numb, but that's been over two years ago, and as anyone who's been in college, two years sees your musical tastes change enormously. At least, it did for me, and maybe I'm too old (or jaded?) to really be impressed by Reel Big Fish anymore. On the other hand, everything that really made them what they were back in the days of "She Has a Girlfriend Now" and "Sell Out" is there. They're still catchy, absurdly silly, and sometimes so immature that it's annoying. The songs lack depth and intelligence, for the most part, but occasionally vocalist Aaron Barrett will let his wit slip out, and for that sole fact, a lot of the dumbness can be overlooked--you realize that these are adults, playing around, simply having a good time, but much of the time they're targeting kids in the pre-adult market, making them hard to swallow sometimes. We're Not Happy 'Til You're Not Happy is no different than those records you may have loved by them years ago (though I assure you it's a step above 2002's Cheer Up!), with songs about the hardships of a life spent making music ("Don't Start a Band," "One Hit Wonderful"), "Drinkin'," which has nothing on "Beer," and a handful of covers (Tracy Chapman's "Talkin' Bout a Revolution," Social Distortion's "Story of My Life," and one of my favorite Morrissey songs, "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful," and I'm not sure if the old man would dig it.) Every track is super catchy and ultra-skankable, putting Southern California in the forefront of your mind. Yeah, it's a fun record, and Reel Big Fish has never tried to become anything more than a band with laughs and smiles on the agenda. Maybe they cater to the Warped Tour crowd, and they're not creating art; they're creating a good time. If you look at it this way, then We're Not Happy 'Til You're Not Happy hits the spot. [www.reelbigfish.com]