Pepper

Pepper: In With The OldIn With The Old (2004)
Volcom Entertainment

Reviewer Rating: 3

User Rating:

Contributed by: InaGreendaseBrian
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on April 6th 2004As the spring approaches, the sun is finally hitting the sandblasted shores. It's just in time for a bright, relaxing afternoon with Pepper and their new release, In With the Old. Pepper's third album is chock full of the solid dub/rock/reggae hybrid the band is known for. While they yet agai.

As the spring approaches, the sun is finally hitting the sandblasted shores. It's just in time for a bright, relaxing afternoon with Pepper and their new release, In With the Old.

Pepper's third album is chock full of the solid dub/rock/reggae hybrid the band is known for. While they yet again show their Sublime influence rather willingly, it's admirably creative for the limited style they've otherwise chosen. Though none of the songs are overpowering or in your face, none of them are boorishly slow at the same time. They achieve a middle ground usually swung and missed at by most reggae-influenced bands.

"Border Town," with its unusual country twangs is a fantastic, Southern-styled departure from the general Californian/Jamaican flavor of the album, although "Punk Rock Cowboy" does a similar thing, only with a bouncy, almost punk-pop chorus using distorted vocals and a saloon-style piano in which the band reminisces about what it would be like to have grown up in the "punk rock scene."

The lead vocalist can croon exactly like Bradley Nowell when he wants to, which he unabashedly does for most of the disc. If you weren't in the right state of mind, you could mistake a few of these songs for unreleased Sublime songs. Although, to be fair, Sublime mixed things up with their fast-tempo, more California skate punk-influenced songs. Pepper mix it up with the aforementioned Southernish, country-influenced songs.

While the album is nothing fantastic or mind-blowing, it's not really intended to be. Rather, this is just forty-two minutes of drinking hard lemonade on the porch watching the cars go by. Once in a while, it's good to relax like that.

MP3
"Love Affair"

STREAM
"Ashes"

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

Anonymous (December 13, 2006)

not quite as good as kona town but not bad

Anonymous (January 31, 2005)

i am from texas i saw pepper in the 2000 warp tour in corpus christi, Texas and i thought they were awesome. I bought and cd with like 3 songs and they rocked. I later bought kona town all the songs were trippy and awesome. I have yet to hear the new release. Ps. I would like to see them come down to south texas or even corpus again.

Anonymous (November 30, 2004)

Cuz this band is bad ass and fuk all who dont like it...from the hawaiian bother in flat ass nebraska

Anonymous (November 5, 2004)

Proper grammer is important.

Sublime kicks ass so shut the fuck up.

And Pepper doesn't consist of three haole guys making reggae music; Pepper is a local band. Born and raised in Kona Town on the Big Island. Their hair styles are typical for local guys. And they kick ass as well so anyone who doesn't like them should get their heads out of their asses and start listening to real music! [for those of you that don't know - haole is a local/hawaiian term for caucasian]

Now, I will list all the jack asses that wrote on this think. Then I will correct their comments:

Some jack ass posted a comment saying "...leave reggae music to the rasafarians..." Well sweetie there's no such thing as "Rasafarians". However there are Rastafarians.

Another jack ass said they've never listened to "...The Peppers..." but that they like Sublime. Again, there is no such band as "The Peppers"; and if there is we're not talking about them.

A few jck asses talked about peppers cover art. Pepper's cover art (on all their CD's) is sick. It's so friggen awesome. It's grotesquely beautiful, and it's their trademark so deal with it.

One jack ass that especially pissed me off was the one that said "...if you like this you should smoke less pot, take a shower, and admit to your family once and for all that you are homosexual ..." Well to that jack ass I say. Just becaus eyou haven't come out to your parents, and you're a tweaker, doesn't give you a right to write (no pun intended) negative comments about Pepper. So shut the fuck up!

My final jack ass to be listed is the one that said "Too bad these guys are hawaiian." What the hell is that supposed to mean?! I'm Hawaiian. It's not a bad thing. You are a bad person. So shut up.

Mahalo (thank you) for listening.

Honi Honi (kiss kiss), Aloha (good-bye).

Anonymous (October 26, 2004)

Some poser girl in my class wears a Volcom shirt. She has nice big tits. This score is for her nice big tits.

Anonymous (October 10, 2004)

Personally ive never listened to the peppers, but if there like sublime, they have to kick a shitload of ass. And really if you dont like Sublime, i consider you goth. BTW,They weren't bald, they just had short hair.

Anonymous (September 23, 2004)

Pepper"s sick!!

Anonymous (September 23, 2004)

SHUT UP HAGGARD FREAK OR JUSTIN WHATEVEA! I live in Hawaii so shut the hell up! GOSH Pepper rocks and my boyfriend loves it too! HA bet you don't have a girlfriend!!!!
peper lover and hawaii lover

Anonymous (July 31, 2004)

"yeah but people who are native to the island aren't white"

... people who are native to America arent white either.

Anonymous (April 12, 2004)

White Dub isn't hard to play.

This shit is boring, I got an awesome Melodians re-ish last night and a Motorhead Live in 78 album, though. Score is for real dub.

-BSD

Anonymous (April 12, 2004)

score is for the song 'trade winds'

Anonymous (April 9, 2004)

How many punk bands are there per city? what, at least 15 or so. Every punk band that is touring today has "ripped off" at least a 100 other punk bands that came before them. You people should should be praising pepper for bringing something fresh to the scene. So what if its slow! Pull your heads out of your asses, these guys have way more talent and write quality songs that the majority of shitty punk bands that tour the country could only hope to put out. You people act like its a bad thing they sound like sublime. WHO CARES! There is not one punk band touring that doesnt sound like at least fifty other punk bands that came decades before them. My advice, buy this cd. And while your all at it get some musical standards and quit listening to the same 4 chord "fuck the government","i miss my girlfriend" songs.

Haggard (April 8, 2004)

Ha, I just about to say that.

-Justin

Anonymous (April 8, 2004)

"hawaii is a state dude"

yeah but people who are native to the island aren't white

Anonymous (April 7, 2004)

Pepper rules. All their albums rule. There a bad ass band who will eventually get huge. This album takes a little more time to grow on you because of the different style but now it kicks ass. buy it, its worth it.

Anonymous (April 7, 2004)

the guy from bargain music lives next door to my drug dealer..always hearin em jam out...they rock. pepper...not so much rock

poopypants (April 7, 2004)

hawaii is a state dude

Haggard (April 7, 2004)

"Leave it up to America to want their reggae done by three bald white guys"

Too bad these guys are Hawaiian.

-Justin

Anonymous (April 7, 2004)

This score is for Bargain Music

Anonymous (April 7, 2004)

What the hell does "at least its not whiney pop-punk" have to do with whether or not you like this record? What a shitty argument. Jennifer Lopez isn't whiney pop-punk and she still sucks.

Also, "leave it to America to want their reggae done by 3 bald white guys" made me laugh, oh so very true... Leave it to Rasafari, they do it so much fucking better.

notfeelingcreative (April 7, 2004)

Damn it! The show with slightly stoopid was sold out monday so that marks my 2nd time missing pepper in a year!!

poopypants (April 7, 2004)

who cares if they sound like sublime, its not like they sound like new found glory or thursday like every other band out there tries to. sounding like sublime is at least not so wide spread.

this does not sound like 311. that was an ignorant comment.

to the guy who said sublime sucks, you obviously are a moron.

i do smoke alot of pot

slightly stoopid also kick ass

this score is for chillin at the beach with a beer and some weed and beutiful women...

Anonymous (April 7, 2004)

What in God's name is that cover art meant to be? It's the most horrificly ulgy thing I have ever had the misfortune to look at. I'm sure the cd will be amazing but that cover art would put me off listening to them ever again. ugh.

Anonymous (April 7, 2004)

ewww does this sound like 311?

Barkley

Jesse (April 7, 2004)

You made my point-there is nothing different between the two. Any form of music that directly can be compared to a different band means that they need to learn how to write original music.

Anonymous (April 6, 2004)

Solid new album...the whole "they sound like sublime" thing is getting old. There are a ton of great bands out there "that sound like sublime"... Slightly Stoopid, The Expendables, Bargain Music...what is the difference between that and every single pop-punk, whining about girls, high pitched singer band??? A worthy effort for an up and coming band that does something different than what is being played on the mainstream radio and tv stations.

Jesse (April 6, 2004)

Why can no one use proper spelling, grammar, punctuation, or capitalization. You all look like morons. Anyway, I gave it a listen, and yes, it does sound like Sublime. A lot like Sublime. Face it, Sublime wasn't that great and neither are these guys. Leave it up to America to want their reggae done by three bald white guys.

Weak.

Anonymous (April 6, 2004)

pepper is rad...they can put on a bitchin show, if they aren't too fucked up. the new disc was produced by saint-germain...its muy bueno

-adrunkslut

Anonymous (April 6, 2004)

I think if you like this you should smoke less pot, take a shower, and admit to your family once and for all that you are homosexual (its there right to know)
randomdipshit

Anonymous (April 6, 2004)

What in god's name is going on with that cover art?

-El Vaquero
sublime was overrated.

Anonymous (April 6, 2004)

I love Pepper, they remind me of Sublime and they;re good at playing that ska/dub music. California here I come!

Anonymous (April 6, 2004)

somehow they ripoff sublime but are still good..the reviewer was right about that

but no more reviews from people who drink hard lemonade

Anonymous (April 6, 2004)

i love pepper!!!the lead singers voice is crazy,everybody i play their albums for can't belive its not sublime,although i was glad on this album they try to at least make their own sound,kona town was way too much like sublime,its my favorite album by them for that though

poopypants (April 6, 2004)

gotta love pepper, sound like sublime yes, but who the fuck else does? I'd rather hear this than another dime a dozen hardcore band or screamo band. chill music. kona town was the soundtrack to spring break last year at panama city for me. herbs, the beach, beautiful women.....