Zebrahead won’t win a Grammy any time soon, that is just the way it is. But, ten albums in, it gets ever clearer that they have a formula and it works. The infectious pop hooks and huge choruses throughout their latest album “Call Your Friends” earn more than a fistpump and I’m not ashamed to admit that within seconds of “Sirens”, a full on desk-mosh had kicked off.
“I’m Just Here For The Free Beer” is a different take to the usual punk protest song. Screaming, shouting and general angriness is swapped for an Andrew WK style pop punk protest party banger. Keep in mind, this is a band of men who have built an entire career on the merits of fart-rock and managed to keep up with the trends, unlike their former classmates Bowling For Soup, so actually the LA outfit deliver on every count.
Then the piano kicks in. Moments before the trademark rap ploughs on you would be forgiven for any ‘What the WTF?’ remarks or disbelief at the new romp down glam metal roads.
As quality as the Mean Girls-esque one-liners in ‘Public Enemy Number One’ are (no spoilers here), there isn’t one aspect of this record that can honestly be taken seriously but you have to believe that is what they aimed for. Sure it’s autotuned, whiney, slightly crap pop-punk that is massively immature but the thing Zebrahead nail every single album is the element of fun and the Californian’s tongue-in-cheekness will certainly embrace you before trailing off into filler territory about half way through. Fourteen tracks of good-mediocre pop-punk is just a couple too many.
“Call Your Friends” is a margherita fest to get you moving (hopefully not towards a doomed future of STDs) and should be taken in the way god intended – with a pinch of salt and wedge of lime. So as albums go if fourteen up-tempo, very samey songs are what you’re after then I highly recommend you go for a run with Zebrahead. Gym it, don’t bin it.
JESS ACREMAN