The Aquabats! "Hi-Five Soup!"

Our favorite heroes have returned to save us with their comedic-style ska-punk, and this time they are giving a culinary lesson in how to make Hi-Five Soup! This record deserves two, if not three, but let’s pace ourselves shall we? No one wants stomach cramps before they even fill their first bowl of their favorite fixings at Thanksgiving. What? You don’t mix things together? The first song is about a disgruntled man (surfer?) with a plan “to hunt down the creature I despise/Is full of danger/ Whose eyes - those dead black marbles they call eyes” who lost his love to one of these fiends, and instead of becoming a batman he becomes “The Shark Fighter!” The song is full of fun lyrics, and backing vocals of a choir which would have you believe they may disagree with their spunky sound, but actually makes this spoonful even more enticing. I know you don’t know me, and I may seem odd, but I can be a great “B.F.F.!” I am a little on the short side, so maybe I cannot be a big friend forever but that doesn’t mean I am incapable be a best friend forever. This song matches the energy, kid-friendly fun, and autotune found on Wow! Wow! Wubzy with a sprig of ska. I cannot help but smile when I hear this “I like your face and you like mine too/Your looks are legend,” and “The Legend is True!” Whether they fall in love, forget their face, or fall back down again, too. “Radio Down!” the boys laid a hit in this reggae-hop romp with Biz Markie; it’s too stubborn, unfortunately to even give them a chance. But a deejay or talk show is needed not to dance. “We can dance in a million different ways/with the record selection and the mirror's reflection/and I'm dancin' with myself!” This song sound more fun than “Poppin A Wheelie” with a Ramones sensibility. “Hey Homies!” if you would like to listen to a fun song about hugging thugs, then the song exists! It’s not just “In My Dreams!” With this optimistic view, energy to boot, and this synthy solo, yeah, I like that one too! As long as they keep making songs like this, they “Just Can’t Lose!” “We can talk about me/And then we’ll talk about you/And I will tune that part out/As I know you will too.” I’m too distracted by Strong Bad and his “Pink Pants” he wore to the studio, what am I to do? When they breakdown and have a little chat it reminds me of the Transplants. Be “Luck Dragon Lady” the last to wait in line, completely worth the wait, but something I did find. It’s slightly obscure, but I’m pretty sure this track is worth your time, or at least worth mine. My Favorites: The Shark Fighter!, The Legend is True!, Radio Down, Just Can’t Lose, Poppin a Wheelie!, Hey Homies!, Pink Pants, and Luck Dragon Lady.