Pepper Albums (6)
'Pink Crustaceans and Good Vibrations'
Release Date 7/22/2008
Tracks 14
Label Law
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Since Brad Nowell's untimely overdose in 1996, someone had to take the alternative rock, ska revivalist torch, and Pepper seem more than happy to be that band. Sounding more like Sublime than ever, and produced again by Sublime producer and former Butthole Surfer Paul Leary, Pepper's fifth record could be considered No Shame Pt. 2, minus the irritating skits. As represented by the cover, which depicts some sort of cartoon crab/car mutation combing the beach, Pink Crustaceans and Good Vibrations crawls along as a lighthearted summertime album made especially for the beach bums and bunnies to blast while basking under palm trees and sipping their sugary rum mixers of choice. Pepper fans know what to expect by now. Songs specialize in warm coastal rhythms and singalong hooks ("Freeze" and "Stand and Fall" are the most catchy here) flavored by Kaleo Wassman's mesquite vocal tone. That's their style -- the Southern California sound, straight from the shores of Hawaii -- but unfortunately, their unwillingness to branch out into uncharted territories makes the album become monotonous quickly. In the most interesting moments, "The Phoenix" captures an ominous and spacy side of the band with minor-key guitar swells, and "Do Something" picks up the tempo to a speedy funk-rock number in the style of Blood Sugar Sex Magik-era Red Hot Chili Peppers. With the most potential for a new direction, "Blackout" leaves the gates as a raw and rollicking Operation Ivy-inspired jam guesting Pennywise's Randy Bradbury on vocals, but it disappointingly fizzles into a sophomoric goof, with the bandmembers impersonating surfer dudes chatting about chicks over the verses. Like the rest of the album, it never quite manages to become engaging, but the formula is tried and true, as proven a dozen years prior to this release, and non-discerning fans will likely find that the CD serves well as background music while burying their toes in the sand. ~ Jason Lymangrover, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
For studio album number four, the guys of Pepper have done nothing more than continue the laid-back spirit of fun under the sun that they've been spreading since their inception in the mid-'90s. No Shame is full of all the mellow grooves and smooth vocals that fans have come to expect from the guys, light percussion and bright riffing rolling things along without a hitch. The Hawaiian trio understands the charm of effortless hooks and buoyant melodies, making their pop-rock-ska-reggae blend frothy and gentle. For Pepper, it's simply about chilling out with friends and lovers under the hot sun without a care in the world. Their piña colada pop/rock works well enough for those already converted -- most likely also fans of Sublime, Slightly Stoopid, or even 311 -- but for others, though quite easy to digest, it has the tendency to get somewhat mind numbing. The breezy Jack Johnson air of "Bring Me Along" and "Rent" is nice and soothing to start things off, the vocal stylings especially sweet, but it really only causes the comparatively brasher "No Control" to be all the more welcoming, if only for its change of pace. Sporadic randomness does occur outside of annoying skit inclusions, like the trashy reggae-hip-hop of "Like Your Style" and the sleaze-lite of "Point and Shoot," but they do little more than raise an eyebrow or two. The album isn't inherently bad, just very uniform sounding; bright patches, though, like "Your Face," "Old Time Problem," and the especially sparkling "Nice Time" could very well put a smile on most anyone's face. Overall, the incorporation of more tempo changes could do wonders for the entire No Shame experience, but somehow that doesn't seem to be the point here. The point is to relax and have a good time, and if that's your bag, Pepper effortlessly hits the mark. ~ Corey Apar, All Music Guide
'In with the Old'
Release Date 1/1/2004
Tracks 12
Label Volcom Entertainment
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Kona Town'
Release Date 1/1/2002
Tracks 13
Label Volcom Entertainment
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
From Blondie to the Police to the Clash, plenty of rockers have been influenced by reggae over the years -- and that isn't counting all the ska-punk bands that emerged in the '80s and '90s. Pepper certainly isn't the first band to blend alternative rock, punk, and reggae, but while the Hawaiian trio's second album, Kona Town, isn't groundbreaking, it is definitely above average -- not to mention quite likable. Although not innovative, Pepper isn't one of those faceless, cookie-cutter ska-punk combos that sets out to emulate the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, but isn't nearly as impressive. Pepper is smart enough to do its own thing, and that means having an attractive sound that could be described as the Police by way of Steel Pulse by way of punk-pop. Overall, the tunes on this Steve Kravac-produced disc are memorable; when accessible tunes like "B.O.O.T" and "The Good Thing" are playing, one cannot help but admire Pepper's sense of melody. This trio doesn't use angst for the sake of angst to grab your attention -- Pepper obviously sees the value of a memorable hook and a straightforward, easy-to-absorb melody. It is clear that Pepper's three members have spent a lot of time listening to '70s and early-'80s reggae; although Bret Bollinger (bass, vocals), Kaleo Wassman (guitar, vocals), and Yesod Williams (drums) belong to rock's post-Baby Boomer generation, this CD recalls a time when many punk and new wave artists were seriously checking out reggae greats like Dennis Brown, Burning Spear, and Peter Tosh. Kona Town isn't recommended to reggae purists, but those who hold alternative rock, punk, and reggae in equally high regard will find a lot to appreciate about this release. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Whenever a trend is hot, one can safely assume that saturation will take place. Inevitably, labels will try to cash in, and that means signing a lot of faceless, unoriginal clone artists. That has happened with everything from disco to gangsta rap, and there was no reason to believe that it would be any different with ska-punk in the '90s. When Pepper's debut album, Give'n It, came out in 1999, plenty of alternative rockers were jumping on the ska-punk bandwagon and trying to sound like the Mighty Mighty Bosstones or Reel Big Fish (just as a lot of upstart rap-metallers were going out of their way to emulate Korn or Limp Bizkit). But thankfully, Pepper had more vision than that, and was smart enough to use Jamaican influences in its own way. This fairly promising, if uneven, debut isn't as focused or as consistent as Pepper's second album, Kona Town, would be. Nonetheless, the band deserves credit for doing its own thing -- blending alternative pop/rock, reggae, and punk, likable tracks like "Prank Caller" and "Feels Good" made it clear that Pepper wasn't just another visionless band that had modeled itself after the ska-punk flavor of the month. On Give'n It, Pepper sounds like a diamond in the rough -- a band that still has some growing and developing to do but certainly has potential. And one could hear the band's growth and development when Kona Town came out in 2002. If you had to choose between Give'n It and Kona Town, the latter would give you more bang for your buck. But this CD, despite its imperfections, indicated that Pepper was well worth keeping an eye on. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
