Cherry Poppin' Daddies- Susquehanna

Susquehanna is the Cherry Poppin' Daddies fifth album. It was released 2008 fifth album, eight years after Soul Caddy.

And it is every bit as eclectic as its predecessor! Bust Out wastes no time getting into the madness. It's more a collection of quirky novelties than a coherent song, but it does have its moments. The highlight for me, predictably enough, is the ska-styled bridge. Speaking of ska...

The ska offerings on this album are a bit hit and miss on this album. On one hand, Hi and Lo is very amateur-hour and feels pretty contrived. In theory, the combination of ska and the band that bought us the brilliantly intricate horn lines on the Zoot Suit Riot album sounds like an unstoppable combination, but Hi and Lo proves it can't be taken for granted. On the other hand, Hammerblow is formulaic ska perfection! Maybe the chorus doesn't quite maintain the frenetic level of energy, but that's just another way of saying that the verses are brilliantly driving and infectious. It's just as enjoyable as The Toasters at their best.

Blood Orange Sun takes a more relaxed approach, with a wonderful ska-ballad groove. There's a couple of awkward moments, but that's a worthwhile by-product of the experimentation. Undoubtedly though, the lyrics are the highlight of the song. They are chock full of wonderfully vivid imagery that meanders around a vague theme. Breathe takes a similar approach, and the result is again stunning.

All the right ingredients are present in White Trash Tootle Oo: a slammin' swing-rock chorus, ska verses and nice swing sections. Unfortunately, they just don't gel together into a song. Wingtips hold together much better, in fact it's a brilliant execution of ol' time swing. But I find the song is a bit undermined by the lyrics. Even though I can't make sense of them, I get the feeling the whole "diapers" thing is a cheap gag painfully stretched to fill a whole song. On a brighter note, Julie Grave is cheesy as hell, and great fun.

Roseanne has an absolutely smouldering Spanish style. Perfectly complemented by very emotive lyrics.

Finally (in my own mixed-up order here...), The Mongoose and the Snake is an interesting take on rockabilly. Again I find the song deserves a better chorus as a centrepiece, perhaps the missing ingredient is a bit more vocal intensity. Overall it's a refreshingly quirky rockabilly effort.

Favourite songs

The Mongoose and the Snake, Blood Orange Sun, Julie Grave, Roseanne, Hammerblow, Breathe

Worthwhile?

Yep. With bold experimentation like this, the occasional flop goes with the territory. But it's definitely worth it for the unique treasures within.