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Here we have another independent Southern California ska/punk band, sans horns. To really stand out from the pack, you’ve got to have some sort of a hook, and Snapp Krackle Popp (SKP) doesn’t really have one. The lyrics are snappy, though.

Having played together for four years, SKP has gotten to be pretty decent at what they do, and they’re able to poke fun at themselves for sounding somewhat derivative, in songs such as “Talent Show.” And any band that has ever had just an atrocious gig will sympathize with fan Mike Hall’s contribution “It’ll Be OK.” 

“Five Iron Fun” compares the Christian life to a game of golf: “The fairway is just so straight and narrow…I need a caddy that will help me make it through.” The closing track “Well Done (A Life Well Lived)” is reminiscent of the Supertones’ “So Great a Salvation.” It’s a simple ballad expressing the singer’s desire to be remembered as one who did his best for Christ.

Any self-respecting ska/punk band would be ashamed to let the album get away without a couple of fun tracks. “The Clown Song” puts the common childhood fear of clowns to music (“Can’t sleep, the clowns will eat me!”). There’s a Metallica vibe on the song, especially the part where Psalm 23 is recited; the whole moment reminds me vaguely of “Enter Sandman.”  

“Don’t Marry Him” is a song written for the fictional Amidala, of Star Wars fame. It’s a love song from a devoted follower, pleading with her not to marry Anakin, who, as we know, will bring her all sorts of heartache. While the band may not have intended it, there’s also a parallel to our walk as people on this planet. God sees the heartache that will come if we follow the world, and He calls us to turn from that path.

“What’s Wrong With Me?” is probably the song that would get SKP in trouble the most with certain Christian circles. The song is written from the perspective of someone who doesn’t know who they are in Christ, someone who doesn’t feel at all good about himself. The first chorus asks the question “What the hell is wrong with me?”, but the singer finds God’s grace and love and by the end of the song is singing “Now I know, that there’s nothing wrong with me.” This may be too glib of a Christian answer, but it’s certainly better than the self-doubt and pity that he started out with.

The production on this CD leaves something to be desired. I know that the desired feel may have been low-fidelity garage rock; even so, it might have been nice to have a microphone somewhere in the vicinity of the kick drum. Also, the musicianship, while decent, is nothing spectacular. 

The well-crafted lyrics are enough to warrant at least one listen, but the dull production may keep you from engaging in a second.

Josh Marihugh 6/8/2004