Oh them, oh their

Basically, everyone who has read this blog once should know who Parry Gripp is. He is obviously the Greatest Creator of Songs on Earth. But something I did not yet discuss is the band Nerf Herder, a punk rock band with Parry singing and playing guitar, Steve Sherlock drumming and a whole lot of present/past members playing bass or guitar.
So, yeah, let's get them in the spotlight, with nothing less than there last album, cleverly entitled IV.


Oglio Records, 2008

1. Oh Me, Oh My
2. Golfshirt Part 2
3. High School Reunion
4. WTC #7
5. Dianalee
6. Crocodile
7. (Stand By Your) Manatee
8. Garage Sale
9. Led Zeppelin Rules
10. Dance
11. I'm Not A Loser
12. The Backpack Song

Alright, check this out! IV is Nerf Herder's fourth album (didn't see that coming, did you?). They play geek rock or nerd rock or somethink like that apparently. Simply put: great rocking music! Call it pop punk, punk rock, rock or a science fiction-inspired west coast rock'n'roll punk pop disco, I don't think anyone cares about that anymore.
One thing people still care about, though, is the actual music, and on this album Nerf Herder have upgraded their game. Their songs are catchier, more melodic, funnier and sound even more similar to their other songs! Well, of course there's a guitar/keyboard melody in the intro, then the undeniable Parry vocals, an instrumental stop into the chorus, an explosive chorus with a repeated phrase and the occasional 'only drums and bass' verse, all of that supported by witty lyrics and a spoken word section every now and then.
This may seem slightly cynical, but all these things (that have become pretty predictable) are all the things that I so dearly love about Nerf Herder. Just pressing the play button for this cd already excites me. Voila, first thing you hear is an awesome melody, followed by an ironic ska-ish verse (cfr. "Don't listen to… ska." in track 9), and an irresistably chant in the chorus. And the songs keep coming, Golfshirt Part 2 is way cooler than part 1, High School Reunion hangs on longer than High School and Dianalee sounds more powerful than Diana, although those songs are all top-notch as well. Nerf Herder essentially try to impress the listener with - wait, let me rephrase that. Nerf Herder essentially try to have a great time. Their music is fun, generally simple, and the lyrics are smart and original. I mean, on what other album are you gonna find a love song involving manatees and a song about "stupid-ass backpack copying freak[s]"? This is nothing usual, this is pure, genuine, heartfelt stuff. Poésie pure, as the French would say.
So, to sum up, Nerf Herder released this album way too long ago and should do something new. Because obviously, their music doesn't change, but they do get better with every album. So that should mean V (assumed title) shouldblow people's minds off. If IV didn't already.

Seriously though,

Don't listen to punk.