This isn’t an album about inventive riffs or meaningful lyrics. If you want to get technical, Hi-Five Soup! isn’t especially impressive, but that’s missing the point. Not many vocalists can get away with singing lines like, “love dragon is with you,” or orchestrating a call-and-response entirely in British accents, but the Bat Commander pulls it off with ease. Vocals are covered by front man MC Bat Commander, and his performance is what actually sells the band’s loopy attitude. Lead guitar is all but absent, while bright synth fleshes out the instrumentation, maintaining the same level of energy as traditional ska. Though it’s been a while since the group has played proper ska, the influence definitely exists. It’s been five years since the Aquabats have recorded an album, and the band’s sound has definitely changed in the interim. It’s a unique trait, and one that the band brings out in droves. This is, and has always been, the Aquabats’ greatest strength - an innate ability to leave the present behind, and focus on the past, or on the ridiculous. Songs may be centered around doing really dope wheelies, or about your B.F.F. Hi-Five Soup! is completely untouched by pretension. This isn’t an album - or band for that matter - for people who search for a deep message in their music.
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If you’re not sure what to expect after hearing “Pink Pants!” (featuring Strong Bad), this record may not be for you. Taking a look at Hi-Five Soup ‘s track listing is the simplest way to sum up the experience. Whatever the reason, there’s a very specific niche set aside for the Aquabats, and with the band’s newest release, Hi-Five Soup!, the group maintains the collective attitude of a bunch of guys who’ve been out of their minds since 1994. Maybe it’s the band’s love of the ridiculous (see songs like “Super Rad,” “Pool Party” and “I Fell Asleep On My Arm.”) Maybe it’s Yo Gabba Gabba, the Aquabats-helmed kids show, boasting such cameos as Jack Black, MGMT, The Roots and Elijah Wood.
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Maybe it’s the superhero motif-complete with separate names, back-stories and costumes for each member. There isn’t a band quite as crazy as The Aquabats.