Five Iron Frenzy,
my beloved Christian ska band, has broken up after 8 memorable years
together. The phoenix from the ashes has risen from that end, in the
form of lead singer Reese Roper’s new band, titled fittingly enough,
Roper.
Roper is comprised
of 5 guys, with Reese being the only Five Iron alum. Their debut
release, ‘Brace Yourself for the Mediocre’ is packed with upbeat,
guitar driven tracks. It is not ska influenced like previous Five
Iron Frenzy work, but has more of a pop-punk feel. The music is
clean, the vocals are sharp and the songs don’t run together into
one glob of noise, it definitely has separate sides to it.
Reese is known for
his beautifully composed lyrics that provoke deep reflection on
living with faith and relationship with God. On the other hand, he
is also known for lyrics about sandwiches and other silly topics.
It’s a good balance, with songs that may inspire questions or
strengthen faith and songs that are simply fun to listen to.
Both types of
songs are present on this release, one highlight being
“Quicksilver,” a song about grasping at shiny, intangible pleasures
inspired by the C.S. Lewis quote: “We are halfhearted creatures.
Fooling about with drink and sex and ambition, when infinite joy is
offered us, like an ignorant child who want to go on making mud pies
in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the off of a
holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
Another highlight
track is “1985,” a lighthearted jump back to the good ol’ days of
the 80s that makes references to Deloreans, Megatron and Run DMC.
It’s a fun song laced with monosynth music to give it that fitting
new wave sound. A completely random track is a cover of Shania
Twain’s song “You’re Still the One,” with a funny spoken
introduction that explains the cover.
All 13 tracks on
the album range from spiritually challenging or encouraging to
catchy pop tracks. It’s a different direction for Reese, but the new
lineup has put forth a noticeable effort to offer old fans a new
sound to enjoy. I am looking forward to future releases from Roper
and his crew.
