Hey, Is That… Oh, I Guess Not

Before we begin, let’s shine a spotlight on the 300 pound gorilla in the room: Pepper sounds like Sublime, in fact, an awful lot like Sublime. They always have, and five records into their career it seems the three-piece from Hawaii always will. The problem with maintaining such a strong resemblance to a wildly-popular influence is that your band will continuously be compared to its predecessor. In making such comparisons, Pepper’s latest, Pink Crustaceans and Good Vibrations, doesn’t fare too well.Like Sublime, Pepper alternates between reggae and punk influences offering a similar dub/rock vibe. However, unlike the late Bradley Nowell, Pepper frontman Kaleo Wassman’s lyrics and delivery are without depth. Instead of passionate songs covering gritty social issues, Pink Crustacean’s tunes cover shallow ground, including booty calls that don’t arrive, what to talk about with a new lady friend, and desires for creating a “musical 69” with someone. Vapid thoughts such as, “Are you the type that thinks / you’re right all along / Well, if you want to be my girl / Then you got to be wrong most of the time” from “Things That You Love” are unfortunately the norm rather than the exception.

Usually with material this light, a record’s hooks and catchy melodies can keep you coming back for more. Such was the case with the band’s 2002 release, Kona Town, a breezy, relaxing summer singalong. Yet Pepper misses the mark here as they have before, as the band’s simple jams (“Ambition,” ironically), uninspired instrumentation (“Wet Dreams”), and lack of compelling material (“Davey Jones’ Locker” and “Lucy”) offer little to entice further listening.

Pink Crustaceans isn’t the worst record you’ll hear this year, but with its best moments failing in comparison to records put out fifteen years ago, it doesn’t have much value beyond background music at your next barbecue.