AOTM June (Something you actually own!)

This month I'll talk about an album I'm pretty sure everyone here owns, and probably loves. This is an album I didn't really care for at first, but eventually grew on me to become one of my favorites. Of course, I'm speaking about:

1. High Fives (4:24)
2. You (3:58)
3. Bright Spring Morning (4:04)
4. Up All Night (4:13)
5. Blingity Bling (2:35)
6. Autumn In The Park (3:56)
7. Powerful Game (3:30)
8. Zanzibar (3:58)
9. All The Nights (2:53)
10. Do It For The Kids (3:52)
11. Last Dance (5:03)

First, let me say, this album has not grown on me as easily as some other favorites of mine (White Trash, Candy-O, and Whatever & Ever Amen among them), and that several songs I didn't really like eventually became my favorites ('You' is the definitive example of this) and others fell of and on ('High Fives'), it was a tricky album for me to get into.

This might seem odd to some of you, but even though this is a huge sounding pop album, it was not very accessible to me.

However, I have finally come around to this album and now rank it in with some of my favorite albums. There are a few things that still annoy me, but I'll get around to them, first let's go song by song.

'High Fives' is off/on with me. Sometimes I love the stupidity of it, but other times it's sort of obnoxious. It's a good solid opener, but it really doesn't compare to their other openers before this ('Popular Demand', and 'Me & You'), but it does set the mood for the album quite well.

'You' is a fucking crazy song. At first it feels almost like there's no structure to it, and the band is just throwing ideas all around to see what sticks. But if you listen closer you can hear how it all links together, thanks to the rock solid drumming and bass playing. If it wasn't for them, this song would fall apart. The lyrics are a bit standard, but that horn line is so… Powerful. You just can't stop moving to the song. The abrupt end is also a nice touch. Still, a HIGHLY original song, and one of my favorites on this album.

'Bright Spring Morning' is beautiful, but you already knew that. I just don't like the abrupt ending here. It kind of ruins the power going through it.

'Up All Night'… Is this similar to the sound the band has now? Seems like it. Still, it's a brilliant pop single, and if this was released in the early 90s it WOULD have hit the charts. I bet my account here on it. I think it hits the mark better than 'High Fives' does.

'Blingity Bling' is the other song I didn't like at first. It has since grown on me, but it must have been the lyrics that put me off. Once you get your head around them, you're good to go.

'Autumn In The Park' HOLY SHIT I LOVE THIS SONG. At first the transition to the ska bit felt odd, but it works fantastically considering the lyrics Tim's singing. This is probably one of my favorites on this album, it's total pop brilliance.

'Powerful Game'… Okay, this is probably a highly controversial opinion but 'Powerful Game' is the perfect power pop song. The cheesy lyrics are dead on (as is the brilliant first line), and that breakdown is…. Oh man… Delicious. I'm not lying when I say this is one of my favorite songs ever. I'm sure most SL consider it filler, though.

'Zanzibar' is a WTF song. But a GOOD wtf song. A particularly crazy and highly inspired instrumental, that definitely sounds like it's namesake should, there should be not a single person not rocking out with this.

'All The Nights' is the only song here that actually reminds me of RBF. (Remember when people called SL a RBF rip off?) Lyrically, it sounds like something that could be on TTRO, though musically sounds closer to White Trash. Still, a catchy song.

'Do It For The Kids' is a nice "show ender" that I doubt the band ever ends their shows with. There's not much to say here, except that this song did not need to grow on me. In fact, I think the second half of the album blows the first half away.

'Last Dance' is Suburban Legends best song, easily. The opening reminds me of Pavement's (of all things) song Fillmore Jive before diving into a brilliantly written pop/ska/rock song. Tim's vocals were NEVER better than here, the part where he scream 'DON'T WANNA DANCE!!' gets me every time. The ending of the song slows it down again (reminding me of Pavement yet again, damn Tim loved 90s alt rock) before bringing it to faint applause and ending with a statement that really does say it all.

'You guys were AWESOME!'

Now the negatives. For a pop album in this day and age, it could have never been on the charts and that really bothers me. This is an album by all accounts that SHOULD be on the radio, but just got completely passed over. Much like the Aquabats, because they were labeled 'ska'. Because great music, has to conform to genre boundaries, right? Fuck radio, this is a classic, if it came out in 1994 it would probably still be talked about.

My only other negative is that as a pop album that doesn't hook you on the first listen, in the tradition of great Brit-pop albums, it eventually slides into your eardrums when you least suspect it, and ends up on your playlist more than you thought possible.

So I'll say it, then. Rump Shaker by Suburban Legends is a classic. Ska, rock, pop, whatever you want to call it, it's a classic.

Now to go listen to it again.