The Aquabats – The Return of the Aquabats
welcome back to the Skaject folks! our Skaject release this week is the debut record SoCal band The Aquabats, known for their superhero personas and uniforms, it’s The Return of the Aquabats!
i am familiar with the Aquabats, but mostly from their newer stuff. ive heard some tracks from this record before, like Martian Girl, but i dont think ive sat down with it fresh, and what strikes me the most is how much this album is focused on nostalgia for Childhood. like, the opener, Playdough, isnt subtle about introducing it, but its a theme that pops up in other places. Idiot Box runs in the sane general vibe, but Tarantula calls back to an older kinda pulpy story, Ska Robot Army drops a reference to Chewbacca, CD Repo Man is about getting your lent out CDs back, and Pinch and Roll is about itching your balls. much of the record is focused on a kind of mythic “simpler time”, for better and for worse, haha.
musically, this is a lotta fun- its silly and weird and upbeat and just plan fun basically the whole way through. Martian Girl really is the standout track for me, but Ska Robot Army is a blast as well.
i will say, i dunno how to feel about Marshmallow Man. musically, its really fun, with a kinda swingier sound to it. lyrically, its about a dude who gets outta jail and falls into a “gangster” lifestyle, despite being from the suburbs. based on the title, this def feels like a call out to a white dude who’s leaning uncomfortably into trying to emulate gangster culture, but i dunno! my initial read was a bit different and caught me off guard.
on the whole though, very fun first outing – i know they re-record some of these songs for a future record, and i can see why theyd want to bring some of this energy into future versions of the band.
faves – Playdough, Martian Girl, Ska Robot Army, Idiot Box, CD Repo Man, It’s Crazy
dislikes –
The Return of the Aquabats – 7/10
next week, we’re listening to Sublime’s self-titled record.
previous: Water In My Head | next: Sublime
this is the first Aquabats release | next: The Fury of the Aquabats
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